


Keep to the Shadows

by Cryllia



Category: Thief (Video Game 2014), Thief (Video Game Original Series), Thief (Video Games)
Genre: Abuse, Brother/Sister Incest (Non-consensual), Crossover, Depression, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Game Spoilers, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Consensual Blow Jobs, Old Garrett (Thief Original Series), Referenced Parent/Child Incest, Suicide Attempt, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-07
Updated: 2014-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-03 17:25:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 21
Words: 41,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1752761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cryllia/pseuds/Cryllia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Men who believed themselves to know best tried to control something they didn’t fully understand.”<br/>Life was complicated for Garrett long before he ran into Erin. </p><p>My explanation for how old and new thief fit together expanded into story before the new game starts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've written fiction for personal characters before, but never a fanfic. Please feel free to leave comments here or drop me a line in my inbox. I'm always willing to take help to make my writing better. Just be nice, please?

The Primal, had it lips, would have smiled.

* * *

 

Clockwise activated the lever and energy coursed through the metal pipes and conduits. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, but whether it was from simple electrical charge or anticipatory nerves he was unsure – probably both. With a resounding crackle, the air before him ripped open like a doorway and where there was once only more of the ancient ruins Clockwise could now see grass and trees and – Gods Breath – his son! He stepped through, never thinking, never caring about the consequences.

* * *

 

The man, small foolish thing, got what it wanted. He would pay for that mistake. Mortals were far too frail and weak to handle such power. Far, far, more importantly was simply that a rip had been made. Finally. With the confidence of a decision that had been made more than two hundred years before the Primal reached into that void, through time itself, and made first one connection, and then another to pieces of the Primal in a form that humans could interact with, much like the Stone, except it was broken into five. The Crown. The Heart. The Chalice. The Paw. The Eye. As the last connection formed old and new greeted each other.

“The City will be in danger. The Balance is shifting,” The Primal pleaded to its old self. “Come to me. Help to restore it. The five of you can do it.”

“Not five,” beat the Heart. “But six.”

“What?” The Primal, for all its knowledge of the city, all its understanding was confused.

The Primal sensed the Sentients struggling to communicate after a lifetime of silence. They seemed to turn to the one who knew how. Its hoarse voice penetrated through the layers of time and space. “We are…other. Our city is not yours. Even so, we are connected. If one falls, so too do we all.  We cannot travel. _He_ can. If this if is to be done you need _him_. The little man. _He_ is connected. _He_ is….Balance.”

The Primal searched its vast memories but found no such person. Before the Primal could even begin to voice this concern the Eye whispered once more, “Find him here. Bring him to you. The little man must be a part of you from the beginning or he will never act. The path will be different, but the story much the same. It’s who he is.”

A new decision made, the Primal reached out through the rift once more, found the spark of itself inside of a human mind, seized it, and pulled relentlessly, drawing him through the void.

* * *

 

Sitting comfortably in his study, the old man nodded over a book as a fire crackled in the background. He had retired long ago, and now found the remainder of his life more passable with more simple pleasures. He itched the glyph on the back of his hand idly, and straightened with a sigh. His back popped in several places, signifying to him just how long he’d been bent over this latest document. As he stood, thinking to fetch a glass of wine before returning to his work, the old man suddenly felt icy fingers clutch at his heart. As his body sagged to the ground his mind seemed to lift away from the pain.

“Hello again, _little man,_ ” A hoarse whisper too close, too intimate to be anywhere but in his own head, mocking. And impossible. That voice had been permanently silenced years ago. “So close, and yet so far. Can you see me, little man? I can see you. With your own eye. Do you want it back? What would you do differently, I wonder…” The man shuddered at the unbidden memory, and like a string of paper cut outs, his life was suddenly dancing before his eyes.

Himself at seven, an orphan on the streets.  
Himself at thirteen, attempting (and failing) to steal a purse from a man named Artemus who would lead him into a world he could scarcely believe existed, let alone be a part of.  
Himself at eighteen, leaving that same world, with all the anger that a young man who was both talented and thought he knew everything could muster.  
Himself at an early twenty-something, and his life truly beginning. Meeting Basso and his delicious sister. Meeting Viktoria and then Constantine. The betrayal. Losing his eye. The Maw. Destroying the Trickster, or at least his avatar and ‘winning’. Meeting a clever young Hammerite who offered him a bizarre replacement for his eye – a mechanical thing. He thought it was just for show, but the damned thing actually worked.

Himself in his mid-twenties, having to work harder than normal just to pay his rent. The slow infiltration of the faction of the Hammerites called Mechanists into the city and in turn, their slow invasion into his life. His unhappy reunion with Viktoria and discovery that the Mechanists were up to far more than religion. His slow developing relationship with Viktoria; one where he might have dared to open himself to someone outside his own head. One that ended with her death before it was even begun. Karras.

Himself, somewhere between his late twenties and early thirties. The Keepers reaching out to him, asking him for help. Finally admitting that they don’t know everything, they don’t have all the answers. Keeper Caduca, murdered, and himself being blamed. Escape. The Cradle. Lauryl. The Hag. His race through the city to put the ancient items into their proper places, creating a giant glyph in the city streets. The Heart, the Crown, the Paw, the Chalice. The Eye that was his own eye. The hag dying and the magic of the glyphs is absorbed from the city and the Keepers are revealed. Except for him. There is one glyph that remains – a key – burned into the back of his hand, still active and throbbing with power. The True Keeper. The Balance had been restored.

The images came faster after that, a girl much like himself, trying to steal from him. He takes her in and teaches her to be a Keeper. Time passes and eventually she takes his place as the city’s primary pain-in-the-ass while he takes a back seat and simply observes. Until now.

 _No_ , he thought, _I’m not ready, yet_. He struggled; fought with the overwhelming power that surrounded him, using every ounce of strength his had left, and then fought with will alone. He felt a moment of weakness and surged into it, using the remaining power of the glyph in his hand to break free. _Not enough_ , he thought as he watched the string of paper-dolls that was his life shatter like so much confetti. He could only watch as bits of his life seems to sail past him and disappear into the darkness that quickly engulfed his consciousness as well.

* * *

 

Other things, both people and items, were drawn through the rip as well but they were of little consequence to the Primal. What mattered, the only thing that mattered, was _him_. The man struggled against the power that was the Primal, against himself, and for a brief but critical moment the Primal lost its grip. The essence of the man pulled free from the Primal just before the rift closed. Now it must wait for _him_ to re-appear.

The Primal, had it lips, would have sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

He had to get out of this place.

The thought was so all-consuming that sound of leather hitting skin barely registered, even as his body flinched from the pain and a new welt began to rise, joining many others on his back. No doubt a few would leave scars, as others had in the past.

“What possessed you to try and take more than your share of the food, _boy_?” The house father hissed as he readied his belt for another blow. _Can’t even be bothered to remember my name,_ Garrett grumbled to himself, teeth ground tightly shut against the pain. “ANSWER ME!” the man roared, flecks of spittle showering the boy’s back, quickly followed by a flurry of blows from the belt.

It was all Garrett could do not to cry out. He felt a trickle of blood trail down his too visible ribs, and the edges of his vision began to darken. Shamefully, his stomach answered the hateful man where his voice would not with a loud growl. The house father stopped his beating. “Just couldn’t help yourself, eh? Well, I can understand that. Sometimes I just can’t help myself either.” Garrett didn’t dare turn or say anything for fear of incurring further wrath from the hated man. Garrett heard a chair creak with the man’s weight. “Perhaps,” the elder man continued, “We can both get what we want. _Come here, boy_.” Garrett turned and shuddered, knowing full well what was expected next.

He had to get out of this place.

* * *

 

Several escape attempts later he was finally free – at least for now. The city was his for the taking, if he could just avoid the Watch. There was only one problem. His stomach was ready to meet his spine, and if he didn’t eat something soon his escape wouldn’t mean much as a corpse face down in a ditch. The smell of fresh baked bread drifted to his nose and his mouth was instantly filled with saliva. Without meaning to, his eyes searched for the source and found and open window. He crept to the sill and watched the woman inside rescue the bread from the oven with a frown. Garrett noted that it was considerably darker than normal, but his stomach didn’t seem to care. The woman sighed, setting the loaf on the counter to cool, and turned off the lights, apparently heading for bed.

Garrett didn’t waste any time. His teenage frame slipped easily into the window and within seconds his hands were on the bread. And the loaf was on the floor with a yelp. It was _hot_! Far too hot to touch. _How had she done that?_ he wondered, wringing his hands from the burn. His eyes idly wandered the room and lit on a painting of a farmhouse. _Something is off about it_ , he noted. _Is it just off center? No, that isn’t it_. Garrett moved closer, curious, leaving the bread forgotten on the floor. It was too far from the wall. _Odd._ He pressed his head against the wall, trying to peer behind the paining, but not seeing anything. Garrett tried to pull the painting off the wall next, but it wouldn’t come free. _Now I know there’s something here._ He ran his fingers around the frame, trying to sense what was holding the painting to the wall. He started when his sensitive finger pads slid over a switch. Pushing it, Garrett felt something give way, and the painting swung free from the wall, revealing a small box built into the wall. A thrill went through him as he eyed his hidden prizes; a hefty pile of coins, a ring and a tiara – literally the family jewels. Grabbing them without a second thought, Garrett leaned to scoop up the now cooled load of bread and scurried out of the apartment.

Garrett curled into a corner of an alley and gnawed on his bread while he eyed his prizes in the firelight. _Should I take them to Oxheart Perry or Black Bertha,_ Garrett wondered as his eyes followed the play of sparkle of the ring across the alley. _They must be worth quite a bit._ He tucked the two into his pants – the most secure place he had – before finishing off his bread and drifting off into a light and fitful sleep.

The next morning Garrett cautiously approached the pawnshop of Oxheart Perry, unsure what kind of reception he might get. He knew the pawnshop was open and empty. Screwing up his courage Garrett stepped inside and faced the bull of a man known as Oxheart Perry. “Whatcha need, _boy_?” Perry asked the small youth in front of him. Without a word, Garrett pulled out the ring and tiara and laid them on the counter for inspection. Perry’s eyebrows shot upward, and he wasted no breath. “I don’t deal in stolen goods, _boy_.” Garrett’s eyes slid to the floor, and he simply reached for his prizes but they were snatched away before he could.

“Why shouldn’t I just turn you over to the Watch right now?” Perry asked, holding the jewelry out or reach. Garrett sullenly said nothing, and simply stood there, hands quietly at his sides. Perry sighed. “I don’t deal in stolen goods,” he repeated, “But I know someone who does. Head over to The Crippled Burrick. If you go out the back, there’s a little place underneath. The man there – he’s a fence. Take your stuff to him.” Perry tossed the jewels back to the teenaged thief. Garrett snagged his prizes out of the air, nodded once to Perry, and turned to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

Basso heard the newest customer before he saw him, but that was normal. Most of Basso’s thieves had learned long ago not to sneak up on him as it tended to earn them a black eye if they were lucky and a knife to the gut if they weren’t. So it surprised him then, to see a newcomer. Basso raised an eyebrow in curiosity before motioning to the desk, which he stepped around. Best to look professional. His eyes slid over the young man before him, appraising him as he would any other trinket. The boy was small. He would have probably always been a slight man, but malnourishment in his early years simply made him _little_ and near starvation now had reduced him to a skeleton. The kid was dirty; in fact, he reeked and his clothes were in shambles. He’d clearly been living on the streets for a while. Yet perhaps he was not as young as one might first think, given the dusting of dark hair across his upper lip. So he’d survived the streets and the Watch long enough to make it here. There was something haunted about those dark eyes of his – something that said this man-child desperately wanted to forget his past. _So be it._ _Let’s see what the kid has._ “Well?”

Without saying a word, the dark teenager reached into his pockets and pulled out a ring and a tiara, laying them carefully on the desk between them. His eyes lifted, staring defiantly into Basso’s, as if daring him to question the jewels origins. Basso just rolled his eyes and reached for the two items, examining first the ring, then the tiara closely. _Good pieces, the kid has an eye._ “Not bad. I’ll give you one fifty for the both of them.” It was a low number, but Basso needed to see how much this kid knew, and if he had to haggle so what. Instead the boy’s eyes nearly fell out of his head but he was quick to recover, the calm uncaring mask sliding back into place.

“Yeah sure,” came the reply, a gravelly baritone that was surprisingly rich in one so small. _So_ , Basso thought to himself as he began to count coin, _light fingers, but he doesn’t have any idea how much their worth. Interesting. I wonder if he’s worth teaching._

“Call me Basso.” Basso looked at the young man expectantly. There was a long pause as the boy seemed to consider the benefits of telling the slightly older man his name before nodding once. Mostly it seemed to Basso, to himself.

“Garrett.”

“Garrett, eh? Well, Garrett, you find any other shiny baubles like this you bring them to me and I can turn them into cash for you. You get to eat, maybe take a bath. You sure as hell need one. You got a place to stay?” Garrett frowned at that, but shook his head in negation. “You can stay here if you want, for tonight. After that, you gotta earn your rent.” Basso motioned to a cot, a bucket that served as a toilet, and a spigot that acted as a showerhead. Garrett’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“But tonight is free?” He asked cautiously. Basso nodded, unsure what had set the boy off. “Fine.” And without further ado, Garrett climbed onto the mattress fully dressed and was asleep within seconds. Basso snorted to himself. Clearly it had been a long time since Garrett had gotten a full night’s sleep. This one was going to be trouble. Basso concluded his night’s work and retreated to his own room, leaving Garrett still sleeping soundly on the mattress.

Garrett was gone by the time Basso woke up the next afternoon. Shaking his head Basso did a quick account to see if anything was missing, but nothing seemed to be and so he set about his usual daily tasks. If the teenager wanted to run so badly, it was hardly Basso’s job to stop him. As the day progressed, Basso kept finding himself turning over the strange young man in his mind; so sullen, so quiet, but the potential was there for something great. Evening came and with it his usual customers, both upstairs and down. A moment of quiet came and he took the time to feed his newest magpie, Jenivere, when he heard uncertain steps approaching his office. Looking up, Basso was not terribly surprised to see Garrett standing in his doorway. The boy dumped a small bag of goodies on his desk, and Basso couldn’t help but grin to himself.

“So you’re back, eh?” He strode to the desk and spread the young thief’s take out. “Paste. Junk. Glass, but worth a small bit as costume jewelry. Only good for the metal.” He pronounced, and with each Garrett’s face fell further. Basso’s eye fell on a gold inkpot. “This isn’t bad. Some rich so-an-so will probably want it. It’s worth a hundred on its own. The other crap is probably worth seventy five all together. You’ve got good fingers kid, but you need to learn the difference between junk and treasure.”

“And I suppose you’ll teach me,” came the sardonic reply.

Basso chuckled. “I could. Don’t know if I will. Not sure you’re worth the effort. You’re definitely not worth the smell.” The younger man actually seemed to shrink into himself even further. His next words were quiet, and Basso had to strain to hear them.

“What if I make it worth your while? I’ll do whatever you want. Even…even pay your _rent_.” The disgust in Garrett’s voice couldn’t be hidden, no matter how quietly the youth spoke. Basso frowned to himself. Did the kid really begrudge him a few coins for use board and lodging? It only seemed fair. Still.

“Fine. It’s a deal. We can discuss your rent later. Right now, you have **got** to get that reek off you. Go shower. I’ll find some clothes that will cover you.” Basso searched through his closet as Garrett disappeared behind the vanity screen, finally selecting a long shirt and a pair of breeches that were far too small for himself anymore. They’d be large for the teenager, but with a belt they should at least stay up. He dropped them behind the screen along with a towel.

Eventually Garrett returned, the clothes nearly falling off his small frame, dark hair still dripping.

“I’m still open for a few hours,” Basso said in greeting. The older man indicated two gems and a jeweler’s loupe sitting on his desk. “Lesson time. One of those is real, one’s glass. See if you can figure it out, but you have to tell me why.”

* * *

Several hours later Garrett had taken several guesses but still hadn’t managed to distinguish between the two gems. “Time to call it a day, Garrett,” Basso called as he shut out the lights. Garrett nodded, his movement stiff and reluctant. Basso moved into his rooms, taking time with his personal grooming before tucking himself into bed for the day. He began to drift off letting his thoughts meander, when he felt a hand slide up his side. Suddenly he was wide awake.

“What the hell?!” Garrett was standing next to his bed standing in only Basso’s overly large shirt, one shoulder falling off revealing pale skin beneath. Garrett’s hand continued to stray downward and stroked his length. Basso slapped him away angrily, sitting up. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Garrett?”

Garrett’s eyes were hooded, his face revealing nothing of the youth’s emotions. His voice was quiet but a slight tremor revealed his trepidation. “I’m paying my rent.” Garrett’s long fingers reached forward once more, and Basso could see them shaking.

“Stop, Garrett. Please. I think…” Basso sighed, suddenly understanding far too much about this youth. “That we’ve had a misunderstanding. Sit down.” Basso collected his thoughts while Garrett settled himself on Basso’s bed, the only place in the room other than the floor available. It made the two men uncomfortably close, but there was little to be done at this point, especially as Basso tended to sleep in the buff. He didn’t want to upset Garrett any more than he had to, and something told him that a large naked man prancing around a bedroom would do exactly that.

“Garrett, listen. I don’t ask questions. Hell, I’ve got a few skeletons in my own closet. But here’s the deal. When I said you’d have to pay rent, I meant it. Pay. Rent. As in coin. Not….” Basso motioned to the air between them. “This. I go for women. Exclusively. You may be as slight as a woman, but you have _not_ got any of the right bits to make me happy. So this is never going to happen again. Clear?” Garrett nodded, but said nothing. “Time to hash out the terms of our arrangement. Here’s my offer. I’ll teach you how to tell the good from the bad. I’ll let you live here, eat, sleep, bathe, get laid if you want. But not with me. I don’t know what your preferences are, and I don’t care – just don’t keep me awake. In return, I’ll take a cut off the top of your take as rent. If you move out then your take will be all yours, but so’s the responsibility of the rest. Deal?” Garrett nodded. “Questions?” Garrett nodded again and Basso quirked an eyebrow.

“I’m not good enough to stay out of trouble forever. What happens then?”

“You know the law?” Basso asked. Garrett indicated no. “Well, there are a lot of variables there. What were you stealing when you were caught, what else was on you at the time, who caught you, what kind of mood are they in. It could be anything from you get the crap beaten out of you all the way to getting your neck stretched. Most of the time if the Watch gets you, you’ll spend some quality time in Pavelock. They keep hoping they can reform us.” Basso chuckled to himself. “Anything else?”

“Not right now.”

“Good. Now get your scrawny ass back to your own bed.”


	4. Chapter 4

_Garrett has made significant progress over the last year plus_ , Basso mused to himself, as the younger man walked into the office with a much larger take than the first time they met. Garrett had filled out as well, lean sinew and muscle filling in hollows that hunger had carved out of the youths body. He would never be a large man, but now at least he looked like a man, and not some specter from a ghost story. Basso had taught Garrett how to read, and now the man devoured books like he used to do food. His talent for stealing had improved at an alarming rate. Basso had never seen anything like it. And now that Garrett could appraise the value of pretty much anything on the fly he rarely brought Basso anything but sellable items now. Basso shook his head as he began to sort through Garrett’s latest take. Nothing eye catching so far.

“Quiet night, eh Garrett?”

“It always is.” Basso couldn’t help but chuckle at his roommate’s dryness. Just then a sparkle caught his eye. Searching it out, Basso quickly sought out a pair of emerald and diamond earrings. Holding them up for Garrett to see what he was talking about, Basso cleared his throat to catch the younger man’s attention.

“Now these….these are worth something. Get them from a jewelry box did you?”

Garrett shook his head, “Her ears.”

Basso shook his head in disbelief. _Light fingers indeed!_ “She must have been a sound sleeper!” he grinned, but again Garrett negated the statement with a simple shake of his head.

“She was walking home on Baron’s Way North.”

Basso stopped short, all movements ceasing. For a moment he forgot to breathe. “Are you serious? You kill her? ‘Cause I don’t need that kind of trouble here. I’ll give you your coin for them, but then you’d better scat, and fast.”

Once more Garrett shook his head no. “She was both alive and conscious when I left her, still walking home. She never knew I was there.”

Basso blinked rapidly, as if someone had suddenly turned on too bright of a light, trying desperately to wrap his head around what the young man in front of him was saying. “You’re telling me,” he began, swinging his head as if to shake away cobwebs. “You’re seriously telling me that you lifted these earrings off a woman’s ears while she was walking home. You didn’t kill her. You didn’t even knock her out. And she didn’t _fucking_ notice you? Bullshit.” Garrett only met Basso’s eyes, staring coldly. Basso turned to appraise the lot once again, this time applying numbers. “I don’t know how you did it, but you don’t need to lie about it to me. Save your tales for other thieves who care. I can give yo-“ Basso cut off as he turned once more to find the little thief gone. He hadn’t heard a sound. “Garrett?” _Shit._

“Here,” came Garrett’s voice, quiet and thick with tension. Basso spun to find Garrett behind him leaning casually against the wall holding Basso’s birdcall by the string on the end of one long finger. Aghast, Basso clutched at his neck and stomach to find his ever present necklace gone. He’d never felt a thing.

“What…how…but…?!”

“Heh,” Garrett chuckled as he pushed himself off the wall and tossed the birdcall back to Basso. “Actually, I have something to talk to you about.”

Basso slipped the birdcall back around his neck and instantly felt better. “Oh?”

“Time for me to find my own place. I have one in mind. No rent, no roommates, no neighbors.”

“Sounds lonely.”

“It _sounds_ ,” Garrett corrected, “Perfect. I’ve been cleaning it up, but I could use some help.”

“Where the hell is this place?” Basso demanded. “I’ll want to train Jenivere to send you messages.”

Garrett smirked. “The clocktower.”

Basso stared, dumbfounded, and Garrett remained quiet waiting for his fence to find his voice again. “You’re joking right? It’s haunted! Besides, it’s a _clocktower_ , not an apartment. How will you make it work?” Basso protested.

"Come and see."

* * *

 “You…” Basso grunted under the effort and thrust upward again. “…Owe me…so…much!”

“Just a little more!” Garrett panted in reply. “Almost there. Oh gods!”

The younger man breathed in sudden relief as the fulcrum of the bed-frame tipped over causing the weight to shift and pull itself up to the thieves’ highway. Basso scrambled up after it. Together the two men dragged the bed followed by a mattress into Garrett’s new home. Basso wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked around cautiously.

“Looking for ghosts?” Garrett asked, his voice wry.

“Wondering where you were planning on shitting, actually.”

“Got a bucket over here. More importantly, assuming you don’t go blabbing your mouth, no one will know I’m here.”

“Ah, I talk a fair bit, but you know I never share the details of my thieves.” Basso assured his friend. Garrett nodded, but said nothing. “Besides, why would I tell the Watch where the best damned thief in the city is living?”

Garrett snorted. “Maybe someday, but not yet. When my face is in every watch station, and my name on every thief’s lips. Then I’ll be the best in the city. Until then, I’ll just have to hone my craft. So…got any jobs?”

Basso rolled his eyes. “You need to take some time off. Find a nice gal to bed down with. Or you know…whatever.” Garrett’s eyes instantly darkened at the mention of sex, and he turned away from the older man to stare at the mechanisms of the clock. Basso regretted he’d said anything at all. The silence between them stretched and became uncomfortable.

“I wonder if I can get it working,” Garrett finally said. “Wouldn’t that scare everyone?”

“I’ll see if I can find you some books on the subject.” Basso replied, embracing the sudden change of topic.

“Thanks Basso.” Basso nodded as made his way to the door. “Oh and Basso?” The elder of the two turned back to find the little man looking back over his shoulder toward him. “If I _were_ to take anyone to bed it would be a woman.”

“Good to know. Sleep well, Garrett.”


	5. Chapter 5

Garrett paused outside Basso’s window, checking to see if he had other customers in. The twenty-something preferred his interactions to remain unwitnesses, even by other thieves.

“I’d planned to give that one to someone else.” Basso said. A pause where Garrett, even straining his perceptive ears, heard no response. “Are you sure its worth the risk?” Basso asked. “But if he sees you, if he finds out…!” Basso protested to apparent nothingness. His fence sighed and in a disgusted tone continued, “Fine, on your head be it.”

Garrett started as the door to Basso’s office opened suddenly and a dark figure darted out bowling Garrett over, dressed head to toe in blacks and greys. Everything was obscured by baggy clothing, including hair, face and eyes. Before Garrett could react, the dark figure had disappeared into the darkness. Garrett made his way down the stairs into Basso’s office.

“Who was that?”

“Bah! No one you need to worry about,” Basso replied, clearly still annoyed by his last bit of business.

“Yeah well, your No One tried to run me over out there” Garrett grumped. “Come on, Basso. I may not interact with them, but I still know who most of the players are. That one is new to me, but you acted like you’ve known him for ages.”

“Well, you wouldn’t have met before and with any luck you never will again. Besides, I don’t have any jobs for you tonight, but there is someone I want you to meet.”

Garrett’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t do people. You know that.”

“I know, I know. But this guy, he can help you out. Your current wardrobe could use some help. You can’t just keep stealing any dark clothing you find.”

“So you’re sending me to…?”

“A tailor,” Basso chuckled. “And sometimes he acts as an intermediary for me. But he makes sure not to step on any toes. And I’ve already told him you’re coming tonight.”

Garrett closed his eyes, jaw muscles tightening. “Fine. Where do I find him? Stonemarket I assume.”

“You’re looking for Tay’s Fashions,” Basso nodded. “And, uh, don’t lift anything off him, okay? He’s one of us.”

* * *

 

Garrett slipped into Tay’s Fashions. It was a typical layout, storefront on the street level, workspace in the basement, with living quarters above. Garrett felt out of place, standing in the middle of the store, waiting to be seen. He heard footsteps on the stairs and waited forcing his normal fidgeting to remain perfectly still.

“You must be the little thief Basso spoke of,” came a clear and playful tenor. The man before Garrett cut quite a dashing figure, he had to admit. Towering over Garrett was something straight out of a fashion magazine for women. Ginger hair topped off bright green eyes over a slightly darker but well trimmed mustache. A neat three piece dove grey suit with coat tails, ( _perfectly pressed_ , Garrett noted) fitted excellently around the tailor’s trim body. Shiny shoes that clicked slightly when he walked completed the ensemble.

“Oh my. Basso wasn’t kidding around, was he?” The tailor lifted a finger to his lips, considering the man before him, circling like a predator playing with its meal. Garrett shifted slightly, ready to run at the first sign of betrayal, but said nothing. “Forgive me. You may call me Tay, proprietor of this establishment. Basso told me you were a thief of the highest skill, and I’m not one to call him a liar but this,” Tay motioned to Garrett’s wardrobe, “Will simply not do.”

Garrett’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t have time for this.”

“On the contrary, you _must_ make time for it.” The sudden sternness in Tay’s voice captured Garrett’s attention. “Consider this, my friend. You pick the wrong house to burgle. An occupant wakes up at the wrong moment. A guard looks the wrong way. Regardless, you need to make a quick escape. What do you do?”

Garrett nodded hesitantly. It happened. Not as often as it used to, but he could still picture it. “Get out as quick as I can, via window or door. Whatever’s available.”

“Ah, but the City is an old thing. That sweater you’re wearing is bulky, knitted, and can snag on so many things. You get stuck on a splinter. You can’t go back to untangle yourself without being caught. You can’t go forward without either ripping your shirt and thus giving away your position, or leaving it entirely – a bit of an awkward prospect all by itself. Worse yet if it were your pants, eh?”

Garrett’s jaw clenched at the idea of going anywhere in the City pantless. “Your point?”

“My point, good sir, is that I can fix that for you. I can give you an outfit to burgle in that won’t get caught on any nasty bits of wood or metal. One that will be silent when you move and won’t hinder your movements. And should you still get caught, you’ll be the height of thief fashion as well.” The last was spoken with a hint of smugness.

Garrett considered all Tay’s words in silence. “What would be required?” He finally asked hesitantly. He could see the red-head quivering in barely contained excitement.

“Well first we have to get you measured. I have a few sketches done up. I’ll have to modify them to you, now that I’ve seen you, of course. Basso said you were slight, but I wasn’t expecting you to be quite as short as you are…no offense meant.” Tay reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a few papers thrusting them into Garrett’s face as he continued. “We have to consider material and color carefully. I had been thinking silks but after looking at you, I’m beginning to think that cottons, suede’s, and lots of carefully kept leather are the way to go. Shades of black, obviously, but we need something to cut it – break up the line of your body. Hmmm. I’ll think about it. Well, off with it!” Garrett’s head was reeling with the barrage of details and he nearly missed Tay’s command.

“Excuse me?”

“I can hardly take your measurements with all that clothing on, now can I? Off.” Tay’s tone was all clipped and professional. He was too focused on getting his tools, never seeing Garrett’s eyes drop to the floor, his fists clench, or his jaw tighten.

“No.” There was far more force behind the single word, far more emotion than Garrett had meant to show.

“Beg pardon?” Tay asked looking up, green eyes stunned.

Calmer, Garrett repeated himself. “I said no. I’m not letting you touch me. Look, I know this is your business, but it isn’t like I’d be coming back for repairs every time I damaged my clothing anyhow. So how about this instead. Teach me what I need to know. I’ll pay you for the time. I’ll buy any and all materials I need from you. You get final inspection, and I won’t wear it out until you give the okay.”

“It will take much longer that way.”

“I prefer to take my time.”

“You’ll make costly mistakes. Materials like what I was talking about don’t necessarily come cheap.”

“Then I’ll learn from them. It’s not like I can’t steal more.”

“I’m no two bit whore in Raker’s Ditch. _My_ time isn’t cheap either.”

“I wouldn’t have expected otherwise.”

The two men stared at each other, a bit of a smile twitching at the corners of their lips.

* * *

 

As Garrett worked over the next few weeks, he couldn’t get Basso’s mysterious guest out of his head. As he’d claimed, he knew most of the other players in the game, even if he never interacted with them. He would see them out working, though he always made a point of avoiding them. But Garrett was sure he’d never seen that one before. Basso’s words had implied that the new guy had been around for a while though. Garrett hated not knowing things. He’d just have to keep his eyes peeled.

* * *

 

Months later, Garrett hadn’t made any useful progress regarding Basso’s guest. In his mind, Garrett had named him ‘that one guy’, ‘the jerk who bumped into me’, or just ‘the asshole’ depending on how charitable he was feeling. What he had progressed on was Tay’s project. Garrett once more slipped into the tailor’s shop, heading downstairs where he knew the tall red-head was working. Garrett scuffed his shoes.

“Garrett! Back for some more help? What are we working on tonight?”

Ever one to minimize words when actions would do, Garrett simply shrugged out of the overly large shirt and pants that had been covering his real ensemble. Tay’s eyes widened as Garrett revealed himself. Tight leather hugged his body like a second skin while a cloak draped from one shoulder. A harness wrapped around his torso defining just how slight his waist and hips were. Garrett worked at the neck of his new shirt, pulling a hood up over his dark hair and neck, and drew a striped piece of cloth over his mouth and nose. Checking his gloves Garrett straightened and waited for Tay’s assessment.

Tay frowned in concentration, leaning in close and examined Garrett’s work. He pushed the cloak to one side to examine the back as well. It felt to Garrett that the other man had examined every seam before speaking again. “And you did all this yourself?”

“Every rivet and stitch.”

“There’s something missing though.” Garrett sighed in dismay and hung his head. He was sure he’d done everything right. Tay grinned and reached into a cabinet handing a piece of folded cloth to Garrett. “Every gentleman thief should wear coattails.” Garrett’s head snapped up in surprise. He spread the cloth out to reveal a set of coattails attached to a belt in the same black suede he’d been using. “Call it a graduation present.”

Garrett slipped the belt on, cinching it to the last coupling. “Thanks. For everything.”

Tay smiled. “You still owe me, you know. You can’t just disappear.”

“You’ll get your money, don’t worry. But I have other appointments to keep tonight.” Garrett made his way out of the shop and over to The Burrick, dodging a few Watch along the way and reveling in the freedom of movement that his new outfit gave him.

As he came up to Basso’s office he found it empty. Jenivere chirped angrily at him until Garrett offered her a bit of seed and pulled down his face mask so she would recognize him. Making use of his time while he waited for his friend to come back, he leafed through the fence’s accounting book. In it were his notations for jobs given and waiting to be assigned. All in code of course, but Garrett had long since broken it. His eyes scanned the pages randomly, picking out his own jobs from the past. It wasn’t until he got to the newer items that he began to notice a discrepancy. Suddenly gaining his full attention, Garrett glanced up once to make sure Basso wasn’t on his way back yet, before flipping back a few pages and starting his examination over. Sure enough, there, there, and again there. Jobs that had been marked out for him but with a large black box next to them, a notation he didn’t know. Jobs he’d never done. And all of them in Auldale. _What the hell, Basso?_ The last pages were Basso’s newest jobs, including a couple for him. Sure enough one of them was in Auldale and had been also marked with the black box. Garrett’s eyes narrowed and made a note of the details. Garrett hated social engagements, but this would be one party he would be attending. He could hear Basso’s bolsterous voice now, coming from outside. He closed the book and set it back in its usual place, winking at Jenivere. The bird would keep his secret.

“Who’s that, then?” Basso called, coming down the stairs.

“It’s me, Basso. Tay’s done with me, except for coin.” Garrett smirked, remembering the original purpose of his visit.

“Whoa.” Basso stared. “Well, if you didn’t have the gals after you before, you will now.”

“That would imply they’d see me, Basso. Besides, you know I’m not interested in that crap.”

“Okay. Seriously, Garrett. What’s wrong with you? You _are_ human right? You got needs? Nothing wrong with meeting them. Bed down with a girl, and you won’t be so uptight all the time.”

Garrett’s eyes flared. “You know damn well why I’m not interested, Basso! Do I have needs? Of course I do. But just like every kid who hits puberty, I figured out how to deal with it pretty quick. Conversation over.” Garrett took a breath. “I took a look at your book while you were out. I’ll take the party job over in Auldale in two nights.”

Basso looked startled. “Actually that job is already taken.”

“Had my name next to it.” Garrett said as he left, his mind already planning his newest heist.


	6. Chapter 6

As nights in the City went, it was a beautiful one – at least if you were a thief. Cloud cover obscured the stars and even blocked most of the moonlight. A light fog was rolling in, providing even more uncertainty of shapes in the shadows, but the rooftops remained dry and kept footing sure. Garrett moved quickly to his target, passing by opportunities he’d normally never ignore.

He reached the wall of the Marlham estate and found a few crates stacked up that led to a dark corner on the other side. Garrett studied the terrain for his best path. The guests were all inside already, enjoying their wine, cheese, and bread. Guards patrolled the outside at regular intervals, but left themselves blind spots that he could slip though. More guards at every door, but he saw three open windows of which he could take his pick. His prize, apparently some unusual rock, would no doubt be found on the upper floors. _Close to his heart…and far from his servants,_ Garrett thought bitterly.

He moved quickly from shadow to shadow, relieving the guards of their purses, but otherwise leaving them alone. It wouldn’t do to have a guest come outside at the wrong moment and notice the distinct lack of guards. Taking advantage of a turned back, Garrett slipped through the patrols and into the main house. In his planning, Garrett had decided that he’d go for the main target first and clean the place on his way out in order to get ahead of That One Guy. Thus far, however, he’d seen no evidence of his competitor. Garrett made several notes in his head of shinies that he’d need to come back for as he worked his way upstairs.

At one point he found his way onto a small dark balcony that overlooked the main ballroom, and Garrett couldn’t help but watch the twirling bodies below him. He identified several marks that he’d hit before. There were his current hosts, Lord and Lady Marlham. There was the Baron’s newest pet, Master Eastwick and his lady wife. As Garrett’s eyes lit on another semi-noble, he had to suppress a shudder. There was the newly appointed Thief-Taker General, Thadeus Harlan. A young woman stood at his side as well, and she didn’t look particularly pleased to be there. Garrett could hardly blame her, he wouldn’t want to be next to the General either. He shook his head to clear it and turned back to business, all the more cautious for knowing who was a guest here. The General tended to take a harsh view of people stealing from his friends.

After picking a particularly stubborn lock Garrett finally found a room that could only be a vault/showroom. Case after case of rock or crystal or a book on the subject were in here, but none of them were the one he was looking for, and he was well aware that he knew nothing about geology to determine if these were valuable to anyone but the collector here or not.

He paced through the displays dismissing each until, “Trickster’s Balls!” Garrett cursed under his breath. One case. One item. Of everything in the house, of all the valuables in the house, the one thing he **needed** to retrieve was gone. And he’d seen nothing of his adversary. “Dammit!” he hissed again. Garrett could only assume that the other thief was still around. No self respecting blackhand could leave this many trinkets around without taking them, so Garrett would simply have to clear the house first and hope to catch the other man as he did the same.

Garrett worked quickly but thoroughly. Another time he might have enjoyed himself but not tonight. Tonight was all business. Garrett spent the better part of the night dodging party guests and snagging their purses and jewelry, as well as anything else of value in the house. The only two people Garrett didn’t touch were Harlan and his date who, despite looking displeased with his proximity, never left his side. _Which is a shame,_ Garrett thought to himself, _she’s wearing some nice pieces, and her purse looks heavy._ There was no sign of the other lifter. By the time Garrett returned to the Clocktower it was nearly dawn. He decided to wait until the next day to bring Basso his loot and demand answers.

* * *

 

Garrett had overslept. Badly, if the amount of moonlight streaming in his window was any indication. A sleepy grunt escaped his lips as he stretched. He quickly bound his hair at the nape of his neck with a leather thong and got dressed. After grabbing the bag of loot, he quickly made his way over to the Crippled Burrick and headed into Basso’s office without thinking. And there in front of him was That Guy, a rock sitting on Basso’s desk, and Basso himself.

“I get it,” Basso was saying. Garrett was surprised at the passion and vehemence in his friend’s voice. “But it isn’t worth the risk. I can’t let you do this anymore.” The dark figure remained silent, but waved a hand as if shooing away Basso’s words. “I don’t care. You’ve been noticed. If _he_ finds out…” Basso trailed off as he noticed Garrett.

“Is it safe to assume that I’m the ‘he’ in question?” Garrett asked, moving over to the desk and dropping his bag on it with a satisfying clink. “So that’s where that went.” He picked up the rock and examined it. It was odd. Some kind of mixture of onyx, quartz, and bloodstone with three protruding spikes arching over the top.

“No, actually.” Basso replied with a sigh. He motioned to the door with his chin. “Go. I know I can’t stop you from it forever, but at least wait a while before you come back?” That Guy made a sharp motion with his hand, but whether it was in negation or to simply cut Basso short Garrett wasn’t sure.

Garrett had had enough. “Aren’t you going to introduce us, Basso? I mean, if you’re going to be giving my jobs to someone else, I should at least know who my competition is. Who is this guy? What hold does he have over you?”

“What hold…? Garrett, it isn’t like that. I told you to let it go!” Anger was creeping into Basso’s voice now. The figure edged toward the door.

“I can’t do that, Basso. Not anymore. This guy - he’s pretty obviously got something on you or you wouldn’t be catering to him like this. You wouldn’t be scared of him like this.” Garrett whirled on the dark one, anger tingeing his own voice. “Who the hell are you?”

At that final demand the figure darted out the door and up the stairs, and before Basso could say more than “Wait!” Garrett was after him.

Unsurprisingly to Garrett his prey quickly ascended to the thieves’ highway. Garrett had to admit, as he thundered after the other, that the jerk was light on his feet. The threaded their way across platforms and rooftops, with Garrett paying little attention to their location, so it took him by surprise as he suddenly found himself crossing Auldale Bridge. His adversary dodged left but then unexpectedly made a quick u-turn and ended up over a wall and into some minor nobleman’s estate. Garrett slowed. He knew better than to enter such places without taking the lay of the land. Was it familiar territory or simply a mistake? He circled the perimeter and found a name plaque on a wall, and nearly choked. Harlan. The blackhand, whoever he was, was doomed. Garrett was about to head back to Basso for further answers when he heard voices. Throwing caution to the wind ( _how often to do you get to eavesdrop on the General?_ he rationalized) Garrett crept to a portion of the wall where he could hear more clearly.

“Where in the hell have you been?” demanded a male voice that could only belong to Thadeus Harlan. A female voice replied, but it was quiet and muffled, and Garrett couldn’t make it out. Perhaps his date from the evening before?

“Don’t lie to me, girl! Lying is a sin.” It was alarming how quickly the General’s voice switched from completely enraged to calm, almost loving. Another reply came from the woman, more hurried and frantic this time. “We must be punished for our sins. Mother taught me that.” The girl, whoever she was, was sobbing now. Harlan’s voice dropped an octave but Garrett could still hear him, “Now be good and don’t scream too loud. No sense in waking up the servants.” A moment later a sound echoed up to Garrett’s ears then. One he would always be able to pick out over all others in the City. Garrett swallowed as his back muscles flinched in empathy as leather cording struck skin. Unable to bear hearing anything further and knowing his chase with the other thief was over, Garrett slunk back into the night. He returned to Basso as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

“I need answers,” was his only greeting.

Basso’s eyes glittered dangerously, his arms folded over his chest. “And why should I do that? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“No. I don’t.” Garrett’s voice was dull and monotone. In his mind he could still hear the woman’s sobs, and somewhere they mingled with those of a young boy. “That’s why I need answers.”

Basso huffed, weighing his options. “Why couldn’t you just listen to me, Garrett? What happened out there?”

“I followed him” the blackhand shrugged, “over to Auldale. I almost had him when he gave me the slip by dropping into _Harlan’s_ back yard.” Garrett nearly spit the name at his fence. “That man….he’s a real piece of work.”

Basso’s jaw dropped. “You followed…all the way… _shit._ ” Basso closed his eyes and sighed. “Help me shut down.”

Sensing he’d won some battle he didn’t know he’d been fighting, Garrett did as asked, closing and locking the door to the office, and shuttering the windows. Basso finished up his book keeping. In silence the two headed for Basso’s upstairs apartment. Once there Basso pulled out two glasses and poured a healthy dose of whiskey in each, handing one to Garrett before settling into his favorite chair and taking several large gulps. Garrett sipped at his own drink quietly, waiting.

“Anything that’s said here…we don’t talk about it again, okay? Not even in whispers, not even in private.” Basso said quietly, breaking the silence. He waited for Garrett to nod understanding before continuing. “It’s a contact. One who plays a very dangerous game. I-“ Basso sighed again. “It will be easier if you ask questions. I can’t guarantee I’ll answer everything, but I’ll do what I can.”

Garrett didn’t even need to think. “Who is he? What hold does he have over you for you to be so cautious? What kind of contact? What game, and why is it dangerous?”

“She.” Basso corrected. Garrett blinked once, slowly. “And her name on lips like yours or mine could do her great harm, or even kill her. Like I tried to say before, she doesn’t have a hold on me. But she can only operate in certain circles and at certain events. I give her the few jobs she can get away with. In return, she brings me all the latest gossip from the hoity-toity types. Who’s going where when. Who’s hosting a party next. Where the General is setting up his latest sting operation.” Basso let the last sink in.

“She’s spying on the General for you? God’s Breath!”

“Like I said. Dangerous.”

“So, **she** was his date at the party yesterday then…” Basso nodded. “No wonder I never spotted her. I was looking for a guy in black, not some woman in party clothing. But….why?”

Basso shook his head, “I’m not sure myself, but I have a few suspicions. She came to me. Believe me, I was extremely cautious with her information. I still am, truth be told, but everything she’s told me so far has checked out. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Some elaborate scheme on Harlan’s part, but I can’t imagine the man has this much patience. She’s been coming to me for a couple of years now.”

“Suspicions? And you still haven’t told me her name.”

“I’d rather not discuss them. I could be wrong. And if I’m right…well…then I really don’t want to talk about it. Her name.” Basso took another drink of his whiskey as if bracing himself. “Her name is Revena Harlan.”


	7. Chapter 7

Revena lit a candle and stared dully at her reflection. At just eighteen she was beyond short, almost doll-like. Long limp pale-to-the-point-of-being-almost-colorless blonde hair covered bland grey eyes. Her skin was just as pale which only added to the doll image. Her cheekbones were too sharp, her chin too pointed. Her mouth was set in a permanent downturn. She could see the beginnings of bruises blossoming around her mouth from Thadeus’s exceptionally rough treatment earlier, and knew others would be appearing as well. She’d have to stay inside until they faded. _Bastard._ Revena blew out the candle and carefully lowered herself back onto her bed, stomach first. Better to deal with the pain of the bruises than the welts and cuts on her back and thighs. She let the mind numbing pain drag her down into a fitful rest.

A few hours later Revena was woken roughly. Thadeus leered down at her maliciously. “No rest for the wicked, my dear. Get up.” He ripped the covers off her bed completely, leaving her shivering. “Look at me, you useless whore.” Revena could only groan in pain. He slapped her roughly across the face. “Look at me when I speak to you! Your pain is your own doing, Revena, and you know it. Now, take care of me.”

Revena sat up with great effort. Thadeus looked down his nose and over his deeply clefted chin at the young woman before him, waiting impatiently. His already erect manhood was protruding rudely at her face. Revena suppressed a sigh and reached forward to softly stroke him with slender fingers. Thadeus’s grey eyes closed at her touch.

“More,” he demanded hoarsely. Revena’s fingers twirled around his shaft, playing up over his head and down to his base. She switched up then, gripping him firmly and allowing her thumb to swirl over his tip with each stroke, expertly plying him in the ways she knew he liked best. _At least I’m good at **something** ,_ she thought bitterly. _But anyone would be if they’d been doing this since they were twelve._

Thadeus’s fingers twined into her hair, gripping harshly. With a growl he pushed Revena backwards, climbing onto the bed on top of her. With a wicked smile he pulled her arms down to her sides and planted a knee directly on each shoulder, pinning her in place. He placed his hands above her, his groin now positioned at her mouth, he pushed.

Revena had had six years to learn the results of refusing even an unspoken request from her brother and she opened her mouth without hesitation. Without waiting, Thadeus thrust deeply into her mouth, not caring a whit about Revena’s comfort, only his own pleasure. Revena gagged and struggled for air as his cock hit the back of her throat again and again. She could feel his pelvis jarring her jaw, his balls slapping her chin, and knew that she would have new bruises to add to the ones from the night before. _It doesn’t matter,_ Revena thought as tears came to her eyes from oxygen deprivation. _I deserve it. Every bruise._

“Mother!” her sibling called out as his thrusts became more sporadic and hot cum spewed down Revena’s throat, giving her no option but to swallow. Panting heavily, Thadeus rolled off his younger sister. She sat back up, bile rising with the bitter taste that was emanating from her mouth. She ran for her chamber pot and retched while Thadeus laughed at her. Just another day in the Harlan household.

“Don’t get dressed yet. Come here.” He commanded. She shuddered. Usually after his morning ‘constitutional’ he was finished with her for the day, so this order was unusual and boded ill for her. Trepidation in every step, she returned to Thadeus’ side.

“Put your hands on the bed, and spread your legs for me.” She swallowed and closed her eyes, doing as asked which left her breasts swaying. Thadeus stood and moved behind her. Without warning he thrust a finger into her, causing her to wince. He made a disgusted sound. “You aren’t wet at all. How can you not be wet after that?” She didn’t dare move to look at him. His finger hadn’t moved. “You used to get wet for me. Nice and juicy. Mother was wet. You look like her, why can’t you act like her? **Why don’t you love me like she did?** ” He pulled his finger from Revena, causing her to gasp.

“Brother, please!” She begged.

Without warning he drew his hand back and punched her side. Revena crumpled.

“Don’t call me that! Don’t ever call me that!” Towering over her like a vengeful god, Thadeus sent a flurry of kicks and punches her way. Combined with the beating of the night before, it was simply too much for her young body, and Revena slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

 

It was a late afternoon by the time she regained consciousness. She noted the servants hadn’t been in, not that she cared overmuch. She could barely move for the pain. She heard the front door open and Thadeus inquiring after dinner. A short conversation was followed by familiar footsteps on the stairs. Revena braced herself. The door to her room opened and Thadeus stood there, leaning against the doorframe. His face was surprisingly calm as he considered his sister.

“You’re completely useless, you know,” He started.

“I know.” Her voice was a soft, hesitant alto.

“You aren’t appealing anymore. You’re too old and dried up. I can’t marry you off; you haven’t been a virgin for a long time. What _shall_ I do with you?” Revena could only hang her head and wait for the General to pronounce judgment. “Get out.”

Revena looked up in surprise. Her bother’s calm voice belied the hatred behind his words. “What?”

“Get dressed. You can take a few things with you. But you need to leave. Now.” He made a motion towards the door. Revena stared, disbelieving.

“But…you can’t… _please_ Thadeus!” she begged.

“I can throw you out now, just as you are, if you prefer?”

With a moan of pain Revena managed an upright position and stumbled towards her closet. She pulled out a simple grey dress that she could pull over her head and grabbed a black corset for later use. Black high heel boots covered her feet. Barely able to think for pain, Revena found a small pack and added the corset, her hairbrush, and a couple of extra under clothes. There was nothing of sentimental value here, nothing binding her to this place except bad memories she’d rather forget. As a last minute addition, she found a dagger in a drawer.

“Are you finished yet?” her brother asked impatiently.

“Yes.”

“About time.” Thadeus escorted her to the door as if she were a guest leaving for the evening. _Or a common criminal, but I suppose that’s apt,_ she thought. “Two last rules before you leave. One, you no longer have a last name. You don’t belong to this family, and we have never met. Two, if I ever, _ever_ catch you doing anything remotely connected with the criminal world, you’ll wish you’d never been born. Am I clear?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then get lost and don’t get found.” The door closed behind her with finality.

Revena began walking, with no particular destination in mind, other than as far away from her previous home as possible. She found herself crossing Auldale Bridge as the sun dipped below the skyline. Every step was excruciating, but Revena’s brain had turned off. She kept walking, long after the moon had risen and the dockfrocks had gone to work.

Blinking, Revena looked around to find herself in the graveyard outside the old chapel. Despite her situation she had to laugh, though it was entirely without mirth. _Of course. Where else but here would I end up? It’s the only place left to me. I’m no good to Basso without the information I can get, and now even Thadeus, awful as he is, doesn’t want me. I’m completely useless. Just a waste of space. It would be better for everyone if I vanish. It’s what Mother always wanted. It’s what Thadeus wants. It’s what Basso’s thief friend wants. Besides…I’m already here. Not much clean up. Still._ Revena glanced around and found a suitable headstone; ‘Loche’. Painstakingly, she put on her corset and brushed out her hair as best she could without a mirror. She braced the dagger hilt between her knees and set her wrists perpendicular to the base. _It’s not like anyone will remember me anyway._ She drew upward and the sharp sting was a welcome pain. Warm numbness filled her and she lay down, suddenly sleepy.


	8. Chapter 8

Several days after their discussion, a hesitant knock on Basso’s door was followed by one of the City’s many beggars entering his office. Basso looked up from his books.

“Scuse me, sir. I have a message for yeh from the Queen.”

“Oh?” He had no business with the old blind woman known as the Queen of Beggars. He made it a point, in fact.

“Yessir. We’ve found something that belongs to yeh. Yeh need to come to the old chapel to collect it.” The beggar ran back out, uncomfortable indoors.

Basso frowned. _Something of mine? I haven’t lost anything…What is that old blind bat up to?_ Grumbling, Basso stood and stretched, working out the kinks in his neck. _I’ll get Garrett to go with me as back up. He said something about needing a drink and a night off._ The slightly portly man made his way into the back entrance of the Burrick, past the sorry excuse for a privy and into the crowded main room.

His jaw dropped.

There was Garrett, pint of ale in hand, chatting it up with a seriously sexy woman. Her long brunette hair was draped artfully over one shoulder, and tanned skin revealed that she liked the outdoors. She laughed from full luscious lips at something Garrett(!) said, and her eyes, green like a forest, twinkled. She was curvy in all the right places too. Basso realized his mouth was getting dry and closed it, swallowing. He couldn’t interrupt. Not this, not after all his pestering. He started to back away when Garrett noticed him. With a wry smile Garrett tugged on his companion’s arm and motioned Basso to join them. Seeing little other option, Basso walked the few paces with heavy feet.

“Basso! Good to see you up here. Join us for a pint?” Garrett asked jovially. Clearly he’d had a few already if he was willing to touch people.

“Uh…can’t, G. Sorry. Something I have to do. Lovely to meet your friend though…” Basso winced inwardly at the lameness of his excuse. Usually he was more verbose, but the shock of his friend with a woman had set him off his game.

“Tori,” the woman offered. Her smile was blinding. “Are you sure you won’t join us? Gary has the most amazing stories!” Garrett grinned sheepishly and Basso’s eyebrows ratcheted up a notch. _Gary?!_

“I really can’t. You two have fun though. Next round’s on me, eh?”

He passed Garrett a few coins and beat a hasty retreat. He swore he heard the two of them laughing at his back. Outside, Basso rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Was he dreaming? He had to be dreaming. Deciding he wasn’t waking up anytime soon, the fence proceeded to the old chapel. Taking hat in hand, Basso worked his way through the graves and into the cathedral proper. The beggar that had given him the message from before was waiting for him.

“Oh sir! If yeh’ll just come this way, the Queen will explain everything.”

Basso could do nothing but follow as the beggar led him further into the bowels of the old church. An old but firm voice echoed up to him, and for a moment Basso wondered if the church itself was speaking to him before his eyes lit on a figure covered in furs.

“You are wondering why you are here, hmm? Was it simply the need to reclaim property, I wonder, or was it curiosity that brought you. I wonder if you even know yourself.” She had been beautiful once. Maybe even a noble, the way she was dressed. Perhaps she simply embraced her role as the Queen of Beggars.

“You, uh. That is, your man here said you had something of mine to return to me.”

“Indeed? True, and yet not entirely accurate. But indulge an old woman for a moment. What have you heard of me?”

Basso considered. Garrett was otherwise engaged and it was too early for his other lifters to be coming back with their hauls yet. There was time to play her game.

“That you know everything about the City.”

“Know everything? Hardly, my dear. This City is as old as time itself, and it hides its secrets well. But being blind has its advantages. I have learned how to _listen_ to the City when it speaks. It tells me the important things.”

“Yeah? Like what?” Skepticism rang in his voice.

“Like the fact that something is coming. And we must all play our parts or our City will collapse in on itself.”

Basso snorted in disbelief. “Sure it will. Didn’t you just say the City is ancient? It’ll survive your something, just like it always does.”

“Not this time. Tell me, what do you know of inner demons?”

“Inner demons? Are we talking literally or figuratively here?” Basso thought back to Garrett when the two first met.

“Does it matter?”

“I suppose not. I guess…Everyone has them. I mean, we’re all human. We make mistakes. We get haunted by ‘what-if’s’. But you go on, right? You get over it.” Basso shrugged. “Even if it hurts to look back, you can always look forward.”

“Mmm. And what would happen if you couldn’t look forward? If you couldn’t get over it or go on? If you were stuck inside that pain?”

Basso shook his head, not understanding this line of questioning. “I don’t know. I guess they send you over to Moira.”

“Indeed.” The old woman nodded. “Well. It’s about time we got to the point of your visit, yes?” She stood and moved, helped by the beggar man, to a doorway. The Queen motioned that Basso should go first. Hesitantly, he opened the door and stepped inside the small room.

There were candles lit, a single chair, and a bed – occupied. Bloodied bandages were piled in one corner and a bowl of clear liquid, various medical equipment soaking within, was in another. Glancing to his host Basso moved as quietly as he could to the bedside. A girl was there, face beaten to hell, mouth drawn into a thin line and her skin had a distinctly grey undertone to it. If it weren’t for the slight rise and fall of the quilt that lay over, he would have sworn she was dead.

“Who is she?” He asked in hushed tones.

“There are so many answers to that question.”

“Is she your something?”

“Her? No. But she can be a useful learning tool for you to stave off what will come later.”

Basso shot the old woman a questioning look before remembering that she couldn’t see it. Fortunately for him the beggar could and her words seemed to be some verbal cue. Carefully, so as not to disturb the girl in the bed, he reached forward and twitched the quilt aside, revealing the girl completely except for a few strategically placed bandages. She was covered in ugly purple-black bruises. Here and there Basso could make out the impression of a hand, fist, or foot, but for the most part one bruise simply bled into the next. His eyes were drawn to her wrists which were also covered in bandages.

“Look carefully, Basso. This is what it looks like when you can no longer look forward. This is what it looks like when you get stuck in the pain. This,” She motioned to the girl’s wrists, “is what it looks like when you can no longer go on. Imagine what her heart must feel. This is what you would have me send to Moira.”

“Who is she?” He croaked out again, but this time the old woman answered.

“Don’t you even recognize your own contact?” She tutted. “Of course, you’ve never actually met face to face have you?”

Basso’s breath caught in his throat. _It can’t be!_ His eyes raked over the form before him again, but this time applying baggy black clothing from head to toe. “Gods to grave holes! Revena! But, why?!”

“Yes. As to why, you’ll have to ask her when she wakes up. Fortunately her cut was not deep enough to damage tendons and we found her relatively quickly. We’ve done what we can here. Now she needs rest of the body, and healing of the soul.”

“Can I get her back safely?”

“We will make sure of it.”

So assured Basso carefully, so carefully, gathered Revena up in his arms and carried her though the streets of Mourningside and back to his loft. He marveled at how small she was in his arms, barely a burden at all, as he lay her on the spare mattress. He still had a full nights work ahead of him, and now this. As if worrying about Garrett wasn’t enough.


	9. Chapter 9

Garrett had come to the bar just looking for a quiet drink. Basso’s revelation had set his world on edge and he needed a few days a few strong drinks to set it aright. So he’d come to the Burrick, where the Watch weren’t welcome and settled into a seat in a corner table, back to the wall.

Three or four pints later a woman had walked in and stunned the bar into silence with her mere presence. Women graced the Burrick on a semi-regular basis so the issue wasn’t her gender. No, it was that she hadn’t just walked in, but she’d strode in, glided in like she’d owned the place. And she had owned it, or at least the jangly bits of every man inside. She’d ordered a pint of her own and looked around for a place to sit. Like magic, every male in the bar was suddenly sitting next to an empty seat.

“Mind if I take up a corner of your table?” The woman was looking at him with piercing green eyes, bright with interest.

“Pull up a chair.” Suddenly Garrett didn’t mind being not alone at all.

“Thanks.” They sat in silence for several minutes, each drinking their ale. “I’m Tori, by the way.”

“Garrey.” He slurred.

“Well I don’t know about you Gary, but I’m running low on ale. Buy a girl a drink?”

“I would, but there aren’t any girls here,” a look of rage swept over Tori’s face until Garrett quickly continued. “Only beautiful women.” He had no idea what possessed him to spout such nonsense. He blushed furiously and practically ran for the bar. Tori grinned at him as he returned with two more pints.

“Beautiful, huh? Charmer.”

“Uh.” Apparently he had exhausted his flirting abilities. Fortunately she didn’t seem to notice.

“So what do you do, Gary?” She leaned forward, resting her hand on her chin and giving Garrett a great view of her ample cleavage.

“I’m a thief.” The truth was out before he could stop it. “The best in the city, in fact.”

“Really?” She said in a tone that implied she believed no such thing. “Do tell!”

So he did. He told her his most outrageous thefts, the most daring snatches, the most dangerous jobs. And with each story she inched closer to him, even reaching out to gently capture his arm. He couldn’t help but notice that it felt nice to be touched so softly. He was thinking about what to do next when he saw Basso staring at him. Garrett couldn’t help but grin at what his fence must be thinking. He waved Basso over.

“Ah, sorry Tori. A friend of mine. Just a minute.” Basso seemed surprisingly reluctant. After everything Garrett had expected his friend to be happier for him to be with a woman. “Basso! Good to see you up here. Join us for a pint?”

“Uh…can’t, G. Sorry. Something I have to do. Lovely to meet your friend though…” Basso seemed uncomfortable and distracted but Garrett was too entranced by Tori to care much, and too drunk to be useful to his friend anyway.

“Tori,” she introduced herself, smiling. “Are you sure you won’t join us? Gary has the most amazing stories!” Garrett almost giggled at the surprised expression on Basso’s face. _Why yes my friend, I can talk to women after all!_

“I really can’t. You two have fun though. Next round’s on me, eh?” He passed Garrett a few coins and disappeared into the back of the bar.

“I don’t know about you,” Tori started, getting close to Garrett’s ear and dropping her voice so only he could hear. “But I’ve had enough ale. I can think of something else we could buy with those coins though. Unless you travel prepared for this sort of thing?”

Garrett looked at her confused. Her hand flew to her mouth, a look of horror in her eyes.

“Oh gods. I’ve misunderstood. I’m so sorry.” She started to turn and walk away.

“No, wait!” Garrett snaked an arm around her waist and drew her into his chest. “I’ve just…never done this before. I’m not sure what you mean. Sorry.” He could feel his cheeks burning again.

“Oh! Um. Let me rephrase that, then. Your place or mine?”

Garrett could scarcely believe his ears. _Is this really happening? Do I want it to happen? What am I thinking, of course I do. I’m so tired of that bastard ruining my life. Time to move on._

“Definitely yours.” He purred.

Tori grinned and took his hand, pulling him into the night. She stopped briefly at a still open pharmacy, using Basso’s coin for her purchase, before leading him to a tiny apartment in South Quarter.

Tori pressed herself against him with a wicked smile, “So how ‘never done this before’ are we talking?” Before Garrett could reply, however, she captured his lips with her own, pressing softly. His eyes flared open in shock, but quickly drifted shut at the sensation. Hesitantly he began to move his own on hers, wrapping his arms around her. He felt her hum approval as she hooked his own waist, walking backwards towards her bedroom.

Feeling daring, Garrett snaked his tongue out trace her lower lip and was rewarded with a shiver. Her lips parted for him and their tongues swirled together. Tori tasted like summer and somehow Garrett wasn’t surprised. He wanted more, needed more. His kisses trailed down her jawline and neck. He heard Tori’s quiet panting and smiled. Garrett ran his fingers down her back to find the ties of her corset. He made quick work of the knot and undid the laces while keeping his mouth busy at the crook of her neck and shoulder. Tori’s hands were not idle either, but she seemed to be having trouble with his harness, growling in frustration. Garrett let out a chuckle.

“Let me get that for you.” Garrett stepped back and began to disrobe, feeling the heat of Tori’s gaze on him as he did so.

“Only if I get to do the same for you,” she replied huskily, dropping her dress. Garrett swallowed, suddenly nervous once more. “You really haven’t done this before, have you?” Tori asked softly. Garrett sighed, unsure how to answer. Tori sat down on the bed. “Its okay. Want some help?”

“Help?”

“Mm. You’re a pretty decent kisser. Let’s start with that. Kiss me here,” she said pointing to her lips. Garrett sat next to Tori uncertainly, and kissed her once more, softly.

“And here.” She touched her jaw, and a kiss followed. “Here,” pointing to her neck. “Here,” pointing to her ear and shivered when his breath tickled her. “Use your tongue, Gary. And teeth, but gently.”

Following her instructions, Garrett traced the shell of her ear with the tip of his tongue and captured her earlobe in gentle teeth, flicking it lightly with his tongue. This elicited a quiet moan from Tori and Garrett kissed his way to her other ear for the same treatment. With a quick movement Tori was suddenly straddling his lap in order to give him better access, hands automatically wrapping around each other’s waist for support. She leaned back slightly and Garrett took his cue, kissing his way across her collarbones and down her sternum. He raised a hand, hesitantly tracing her breast which raised goosebumps across her skin and caused her nipple to crinkle. Garrett glanced up at Tori, but the woman’s eyes were lidded, her lips parted. Taking this as a good sign, the thief leaned forward and kissed the pink tip that jutted towards him. Tori’s fingers tightened on his waist and he pulled back, afraid he’d done something wrong.

“Don’t stop,” Tori whispered, pushing her chest toward him.

It was all the encouragement the twenty-something needed. He snagged one of Tori’s nipples into his mouth, sucking greedily and drawing a throaty moan from her. His hand captured her other breast, kneading it gently. He could feel his hardness pressing against her but couldn’t bring himself to care as he switched his ministrations.

“Gary,” Tori’s voice drew him from his lust-filled haze and he looked up at her. Her hands were on Garrett’s shoulders, gently pushing him onto the mattress. Apparently it was her turn. Her lips covered his for a brief moment before traveling a similar path to his, across his jaw-line, over his ear and down his neck. She paid brief attention to his nipples but that didn’t seem to be her goal and she continued down his stomach, scraping lightly with her nails. Garrett half sat up in shock as his dick was suddenly enveloped in hot wetness, eyes going wide to see Tori’s mouth wrapped around him so intimately. She did something with her tongue and Garrett had to roll his eyes back into his head to keep from thrusting his hips forward. He felt her hands on him as well and groaned, feeling a familiar coil beginning at the base of his spine. She hummed her approval of his response and he nearly lost it then and there, gripping the sheet tightly.

“Gods!” he hissed between clenched teeth. She bobbed her head twice, working her tongue over him, each time bringing him closer to the edge.

“Stop, please!” Garrett begged. Tori pulled off of him reluctantly, trailing her tongue on his tip for a moment.

“What’s wrong? You looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

“Oh, I was. Too much.”

Tori laughed, a deep rich thing. “That was kind of the point, Gary. Lay back and enjoy it.”

“But- oh gods!” Garrett swore as Tori enveloped him once more, sucking harder this time. He had little recourse, and even less control left to him. With an involuntary thrust of his hips Garrett lost himself to the feeling of release. When he came back to himself and opened his eyes a few seconds later Tori was lying next to him.

“Damn Gary. How long has it been for you?” She asked, a smile taking the sting out of the words.

“Too long,” he growled, rolling over and caging her underneath him. Garrett kissed her deeply, pushing his hips into hers. Tori cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Ready again so soon?” Garrett just continued to kiss her neck and let his body’s obvious readiness speak for itself. “Then get the box I bought.” She pointed to the bedside table where her purchase awaited. With a sigh Garrett moved off of his bedmate and unwrapped the box, handing it to Tori. It was slightly larger than a single cigar, and when she opened it, Garrett swore she was holding up an empty sausage casing.

“The hell is that for?”

“You. I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on becoming a parent any time soon,” Tori replied, kneeling between his legs again. Garrett watched as _he_ filled the sausage casing under Tori’s expert hands. “Now lie back down.”

Unsure about his options and feeling uncomfortable with the pressure around his hardness, Garrett did as he was told. Tori slid up his body, trailing her breasts along his skin and over his dick the sight of which made him even harder. She sat up then, kneeling over Garrett but not quite touching him. Her hips rocked side to side over his. Tori’s eyes locked onto his, making sure he was following her every movement. Her hands traced up her body, and down her neck, fondling her own breasts and across her stomach and hips. Garrett watched, entranced, as her fingers circled inward but danced away again just before they reached that most critical part. Finally they scooped down and inward, just for a moment but it was enough. They came away wet and left glistening trails in their wake. Garrett reached up, eager to touch that secret place as well, but she slapped his hand away, bringing her own hands back to herself, eyes closed in some internal bliss. Tori’s hand sunk deeper within her and seemed to pump in and out of her. Garrett wasn’t sure what he was seeing and didn’t really care, it was making him twitch. She was just an inch above him and occasionally her hand would brush him sending tingles through his spine. Tori’s breathing was beginning to become ragged, when she pulled one hand from herself and gripped his dick firmly. Garrett groaned.

“Ready?” She asked.

Before he could reply or even think of one, she had plunged herself down on him with a soft cry. Suddenly the strange thing around his cock didn’t matter anymore. The slightly uncomfortable bedspring digging into his shoulder didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was this woman, what she was doing to him, and that she not stop. He grabbed her hips in order to bury himself deeper inside of her warmth. She leaned back and balanced herself on his knees while rolling her hips forward to meet his every thrust. He groaned at her heat, and she moaned as his length rubbed against her. Garrett barely heard her as she cried out but he felt her muscles clench around him, squeezing him tighter, pulling him further into her. It was too much. He released himself as well and rode the waves of pleasure that came from spilling his seed, doubled for it coming from being inside a woman rather than his own hand. Tori collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily, and Garrett felt himself slip out of her. She rolled to rest her head on his shoulder.

“Trickster’s balls,” she breathed. “You sure you’ve never done this before?”

Garrett chuckled. “Very. What do I do with this?” He waved at the drug-store thing that was suddenly uncomfortable on his shrinking genitalia.

“Go wash it out. Bathroom is just across the hall. I’m not sure I can move yet.”

As Garrett set himself to the task he couldn’t help but muse on his friend. _So this is sex with a woman. No wonder Basso is always going on about it. I feel like I could take on the entire Watch right about now. Or at least,_ he finished and moved back to the bedroom, _I could take on Tori again._

Tori had out two snifters with a green liquid in each. “Brandy? It has the most ‘ **restorative’** effect…”

Garrett smirked and took a glass. “I’ll take it, but I’m not sure I need it.” The thief knocked it back in one and sat the glass back down.

“Oh?”

“Mmm.” He closed the distance between them, trapping Tori against the wall. “Ready for another round?”

“Trickster help me, what have I done?” She did not sound displeased. Garrett captured her lips with his own, and her brandy was suddenly forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was a hot as intended for virgin(!)Garrett? I've never written smut before. It was intentionally low on naked Garrett details (saving that for later), so I hope that didn't ruin it.


	10. Chapter 10

It was two more days before Basso saw Garrett again, and he couldn’t help but give the younger thief some crap.

“Basso, I’m back. Got any jobs for me?”

“Seems to me like you probably got plenty of jobs from that sexy strumpet over the last couple of days, eh?”

Garrett laughed. Not his usual chuckle, but an actual laugh. Basso stared.

“Definitely. But her kind of jobs don’t get me or you money. Besides, I figured you were missing me by now.”

“Clearly you need to get laid more often,” the fence commented, reaching for his record book, “If this is the kind of mood it puts you in. I’ve got plenty…what are you in the mood for?”

“Give me something with some challenge. I-“Garrett was cut off by a long mournful sob. “What the hell was that, Basso?”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Basso whispered under his breath. He headed for the stairs but called back over his shoulder as forcefully as he could. “Stay. Here.”

Tired of secrets, Garrett was having none of it. The fence bounded up the stairs two at a time and burst into his spare room followed closely by Garrett. Revena had woken up. She was curled into a ball, sobbing, and picking at her bandages trying to remove them. Her bruises hadn’t faded at all, a mass of green and purple and black around her mouth and cheeks, but at least the rest of her body was covered by a long nightgown. The door banging open startled her and Revena gave a little shriek before recognizing her contact with the underworld.

“ ** _Why_**?” she pleaded. Basso shook his head, unsure what the young woman was asking. Her eyes darted to the thief behind him and then dropped, all movement suddenly stilling. It was chilling to watch.

“Who…?” Garrett asked in hushed tones.

The fence glanced at the thief but chose to ignore his presence entirely, instead moving into the room.

“Shhh, it’s okay. You’re safe. You’re safe here Revena,” He crooned, as if to calm one of his magpies. “Your brother can’t hurt you here.”

Revena looked up at the safecracker with dull, lifeless eyes. Her voice, a soft alto, was flat. “Why would you save me?”

“I’m sorry sweetheart, I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t I?” Basso replied.

“I’m no good to you. No good to anyone,” came the reply. Basso closed his eyes. For all that her voice was emotionless there was a certain lack of hope within that cut him to the quick.

“That’s not true, hon. Not at all. You just need some time to adjust. It’s okay. Just…rest and heal, okay?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Idly, Revena began to pick at her bandages again.

Unsure what else to do or say, Basso withdrew into the hallway and closed the door behind him before resting his head against a wall. Garrett was staring at him. “What?”

“ _That_ was Revena Harlan? Your contact?”

“Yeah,” Basso sighed. “Why? Oh, don’t you start!”

“I’m not, Basso. What happened to her?”

“I told you she was playing a dangerous game.” The fence glanced at the closed door. “I guess she lost.”

“She did a lot more than lose.” Garrett was quiet, his thoughts far away. “Keep a close eye on her, Basso. I need some air.” Garrett headed for the nearest window and disappeared into the night.

Basso winced. _Inner demons, indeed._ He entered Revena’s room again to find her crying softly into her pillows. Gently he eased himself onto the edge of her bed and shushed her, stroking her hair until she calmed.

“No one is going to hurt you here. You’re safe.” Revena nodded, not looking up. _She doesn’t care._ “Revena, please talk to me. Just look at me. You’re safe here.” She somehow managed to raise her eyes without lifting her head.

“Why did you save me?” she asked again. Her voice was so quiet and flat Basso had to lean in to hear her.

“Why wouldn’t we save you?” He asked incredulously, still not understanding the reasoning behind the question. Revena looked up more sharply at that, but her eyes were no less dead.

“I am...utterly useless. Just let me die.” The girl sobbed again and started scrabbling at her bandages. Basso darted his hands out and grabbed her wrists, roughly pulling them to him.

“I don’t understand, Revena. Why do you want to die? Why would you cut your wrists?! Why?” But Revena was crying too hard to answer him, lost in her own sorrow.

“Shhhh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I’m just worried about you. Can we talk?” He kept his voice low and soothing. She nodded, but still couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Why did he do this to you?”

His question got a laugh out of her, though it was an ugly bitter thing. She gave a ragged sigh. “Because of who I am. What I am.”

“And that is…?”

For the first time Revena willingly raised her eyes to meet his, as if to make sure he understood her perfectly. Tears filled them, but she wasn’t crying. “I am unwanted and unwelcome. I am the disruption to the Harlan household that they neither desired nor needed. I am worth less than the shit you scrape off your boot and my presence is twice as annoying. And…” She blinked, releasing the tears down her cheeks as she looked away, unable to bear his direct gaze any longer. “And I will no longer be tolerated.”

“He kicked you out?” Basso asked. He couldn’t help the relief that filled his voice.

“Yes. So I’m no good to you anymore. You should have left me to die. I…” She seemed unable to go on.

“Nothin’ doin’, Revena. But you never answered my first question. Why did you cut your wrists?” Revena squeezed her eyes shut and Basso wasn’t sure if she was trying to block out the world or keep in her thoughts.

“I think I have. You just weren’t listening. Its okay, no one does. Why would they?” Her voice was quiet, the last more of a comment to herself than to him. “Gods. I can’t do anything right, can I?” She buried her head in her arms. “I can’t even manage to die properly.”

“Hey, you’re gonna be okay.” He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a light hug. Rather than being reassuring, Revena moaned in pain, causing him to immediately withdraw. “Revena? Crap, I’m sorry. I forgot.”

“Sorry. I’m so sorry.” She gasped out.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Frowning, Basso pulled Revena to a sitting position. Putting his skills to the test his used his lightest touch to trace the bruises on her face, then moved her hair to one side and saw the hint of a bruise at the collar of her nightgown.  Even so, he felt her stiffen under his fingers. “I need to see your hurts,” he explained.  She nodded, but didn’t relax.

Undoing the buttons of her nightgown he slid the overlarge thing off her shoulders to her hips and bit his lip to keep from cursing. Her back was covered not only in bruises from a recent thorough beating, but also the cuts (scabbed over), welts (starting to fade), and (if he looked closely) scars of someone who was intimately familiar with the wrong end of a whip. Both types of hurts continued downward and the bruises wrapped around to the front as well as down her arms.

“You’ll feel better if you soak in a hot bath. But you’ll need to keep your wrists up out of the water. Can you do that for me?” Basso asked.

“Yes.” Even Revena’s voice was stiff now.

“Good. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

Basso dodged across the hall to his own room, and started the hot water running in the bath. While he waited for the water to heat he quickly picked up his dirty underwear, piling it inconspicuously in a corner. No sense in scaring her more than necessary. The water heated, he stopped the plug and added his favorite bath oil to the mix, leaving the tub to fill while he collected his new ward.

Helping her across the hall was more effort than anticipated. Revena could barely stand up straight, making Basso wonder if she didn’t have some cracked ribs under all those bruises. He helped her into the tub, underwear and all, then moved to the door.

“You’re going to watch me?” She sounded frightened.

“Only standing watch to make sure Garrett doesn’t come back and surprise you. And to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

“Like try to kill myself again?”

“Or fall asleep in the tub.”

“Oh.”

Both pieces of her underwear went over the side of the tub with a splat before she settled into the tub, keeping one suspicious eye on the fence. After a moment, when he seemed to make no move towards her, she allowed herself to relax into the heat of the water. In fact, Basso had to wake Revena twice to keep her from drowning herself before declaring her officially pruney, offering her a towel, and helping her back to bed where she fell asleep within a few minutes.

* * *

 

The blackhand ran the rooftops. He had no job, no destination. He wasn’t looking for opportunities, and in fact probably passed several by. There were no City Watch yelling ‘Stop Thief!’ or raising alarms. No, tonight he was trying to outrun his own thoughts, but it wasn’t working. Garrett’s thoughts were consumed by the girl on the bed. He’d seen something similar once before, long ago. A memory almost forgotten came bubbling up and chased him across the thieves’ highway nipping at his heels no matter how fast he ran, no matter how well he hid. He ran until exhaustion overtook him and he could run no further, collapsing in a sweaty panting heap between buildings.

_The orphanage. Himself and a childhood playmate. His friend had never been as strong as he, had never taken the housefather’s abuse as well. One day his friend had come back from his whipping with a dead look in his eyes. It was a rule among the children not to ask questions, not to talk about what happened, so Garrett hadn’t. It was a mistake. His friend said very little next day. The day after, they found him trying to reach the rat poison in the closet. He claimed he’d seen one in the play room, but Garrett saw something unknown cross his face as the housefather firmly shut and locked the closet. They found him the next morning, hanging from the top of the stairwell by his bed sheets. Adult Garrett identified the look to be one of complete despair._

Garrett sat up, elbows on his knees, and forehead on his hands. Basso would have to send his jobs via Jenivere. It would be a while before he could face the young woman again. More slowly he made his way back to the clocktower where he wrote a short note to that effect and wrapped it in a shiny but worthless necklace for the magpie to find.


	11. Chapter 11

“What have you got for me tonight?” The large fence asked. As usual, the black-clad thief dropped his take and began to head for the door. “G wait,” Basso sighed. “I could use some advice.”

Garrett paused. It had been too long since he’d had a good chat with his friend. “What’s wrong?”

“Its Revena. She-“

“No.”

“But-!”

“Look, I’m sorry Basso. Really I am, but I can’t deal with her or her problems.”

“I’m not asking you to talk to _her_. I’m asking you to talk to _me_. Can you do that at least?” The older man was almost whining. Garrett nodded.

“Yeah, Basso. I can do that.” He hooked a chair with his foot and sat down.

“It’s just that…it’s been two and a half weeks. She’s almost completely healed, but she won’t move. She just stares at the ceiling. When she does talk, we just go around in circles!”

“How do you mean?”

“She keeps going on about how she’s worthless because she can’t do anything right, and she can’t do anything right because she’s worthless. I just get so frustrated! She’s taking up space, and food, and my time, with nothing in return, ya know? No response at all. And the worst part is; I care. I care about how badly she’s hurting inside. I care about what happens to her, as much as I would if I had a sister. But I just don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to fix it.” Basso sighed. “She’s only eighteen, and there’s already so much pain built up there.”

“I’m not sure you can,” Garrett replied. “Fix it, I mean. Not by talking anyway. Maybe if she had something to do? Help you run this place, or the Burrick upstairs…? Get her mind off things.”

“Yeah…maybe. Get her out there with other people. See that the world is still worth living in,” Basso’s eyes lit up at the thought. “I could probably work something out with Bill. Or Tay still owes me a couple of favors. Thanks, G!”

* * *

 

Revena sat at the edge of the bed, playing with the idea of _getting up_. It had seemed like an impossible task, and pointless to boot for so long. But maybe she could actually consider being ‘normal’? She checked her dress and hair to make sure they were presentable if Basso had company, before heading to the stairs. Male voices drifted up to her, Basso’s in particular.

“…can’t do anything right because she’s worthless. I just get so frustrated! She’s taking up space, and food, and my time, with nothing in return, ya know? No response at all. And the worst part…”

Revena backed away from the stairs as if stung, tears sprouting from her eyes. _I should have known. I should have known better than to trust. To think that someone actually cared about **me**. What a fool. Useless, Revena. You are utterly useless, and an idiot besides. Taking up space and food and medicine and..and…AIR. He’s got better things than you to worry about, you stupid idiotic good-for-nothing whore-bitch. His life would be simpler if I wasn’t here. I should pay him for his time. There’s only one thing I’ve ever been any good at. Not that anyone would want me. Too damned ugly. But they say all cats look alike in the dark. _ Moving quickly now that her mind was made up, Revena used the make-ups that Basso had brought her one day in an attempt to cheer her and fled out the window, heading for Raker’s Ditch – home of the Dockfrocks.

* * *

 

“No problem. Look,” Garrett paused, unsure if he really wanted to make this offer, even to his friend. “If push comes to shove, I…I’ll try to talk to her, okay? But not unless you seriously think she’s going to try to off herself again or something.”

“You’d talk to her? But you’re so…you, ya know?”

“Just…keep it in mind.”

“Sure thing. Hey how are you and that hot thing from the bar doing?”

“Who, Tori?” Garrett couldn’t help but let a smile slip onto his lips. “We’re not really together. More of a if-our-paths-cross thing. My hours didn’t mesh well with hers. And she has this weird plant pet thing. I swear it watches us.”

“Ah, that’s too bad. You were less grumpy.”

Garrett shrugged, the smile still tugging at his lips. “I’m not too worried about it. Mary, Rose, Clara, and Agnes have all been pretty good finds since then.”

“ **What?!** You stud! I told you the ladies would love a man in tight leather, didn’t I?” Basso laughed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Garrett grinned.

It wasn’t until hours later, when Basso stepped in to wish Revena a good night after closing down, that he discovered her absence. There was no sign of a struggle, nor anything missing - no blood or a note either and so the fence wasn’t sure what to think. The tightness in his chest assured him that panic was always an option. He scrawled a note on a matchbox and gave it to Jenivere.

“Go find Garrett, wherever he is in this damned City. And peck his fingers until he takes this from you!” He grabbed his overcoat and hat and headed into the morning sun.

Happily Jenivere didn’t have to go far, as Garrett was just climbing into bed himself. Although he hadn’t been exaggerating with his friend, he was spending this particular evening alone with the shadows. She chirruped angrily at him.

“Goway Jen,” he slurred sleepily. The bird was not having it, and hopped inside to peck lightly at him. “Mrph. Leave it! I’ll get it t’morrow,” but Jenivere only continued to pester him until he rolled over. “What. What is it you flying rat?”

‘G- She’s gone. No signs. –B’

Message delivered, the magpie fluttered away to do whatever magpies do during the unholy hours sunlight.

“Ug. Dammit.”

Garrett hurriedly looked through a few pieces he kept for such occasions and slipped on a pair of dark pants, vest and tie. He tied back his hair to something approximating respectability and stepped out into the dawn, intent on finding his fence first and foremost. He caught up to Basso just as the man entered Grandmauden.

“Basso, hey. What’s going on?”

“Oh, hey _Gary_.” Basso couldn’t help but put a slight emphasis on the misnomer Tori had blessed him with. The Watch on the daylight hours were more attentive to what people said, and Garrett’s name was starting to make their lists. “I ducked in to see how she was, but she wasn’t there. No sign of a struggle, no note…nothing. I’m worried. I was hoping we could split up to look for her? You could take upstairs,” he pointed discretely to the rooftops, “While I look on street level.”

“Of course. But where should we start? You know her far better than I do.”

“Well she won’t go home or probably anywhere remotely related to her brother, so we can rule out Auldale and anywhere close to a Watch tower. They all know who she is. She probably won’t go back to the old chapel either, given how that turned out for her. After that…” Basso shrugged.

“Right. Riverside and its offshoots are probably the best bet then, at least to start.”

The two men took off towards their destination. Garrett climbed to the roofs, being careful to stay out of sight. Garrett moved methodically, starting at the docks and working inward. He occasionally caught glances of Basso beneath him doing the same. It took a couple hours before he reached Raker’s Ditch. Just as he was about to give up, he spotted a figure above him, hidden in the eaves of an apartment building. He signaled to Basso before climbing up. Revena was there, shaking so fiercely he thought she might come apart at the seams, but otherwise unscathed.

“Revena?” He asked hesitantly. Garrett had only seen her once, and she had been covered with bruises at the time. He supposed he’d seen her at the party, but he’d only been looking at her as a mark at the time.

“I couldn’t do it,” came the quiet wavering reply. It was her voice. Revena stared up at him with piercing mist grey eyes that made him catch his breath. “I tried, but I couldn’t do it.”

“Couldn’t do what?”

“Let them touch me. I…wanted to be useful. To pay Basso back. But I couldn’t do it. Another failure.” She shook her head but her eyes were dry, apparently out of tears.

“Oh, shh-shh-shh. You don’t have to do that. You don’t _need_ to do that.”

“But I have to do something. He doesn’t want me. No one does. I’m just a waste of space,” she added miserably.

“That’s not true. I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t want you. He asked me to help him look for you, because he’s worried about you.”

“Why?” The plea in her voice was desperate.

“Because,” _Dammit, I am **not** good at these things, _ “He cares about you. He told me so.”

“I don’t understand,” her voice was quiet, “why anyone would care about me. I’m…”

“You’re what?”

Revena’s voice suddenly raised to a shout, surprising him. “Tainted, okay?!” She continued, more quietly, but with just as much fierceness in her voice. “I’m tainted. I’m ugly and stupid and useless and _tainted._ ”

The whole sentence was alarming, but something about the way she hissed the last word raised Garrett’s hackles. “What exactly do you mean ‘tainted’?” She laughed cynically, but just shook her head, seemingly unable to give it voice. “Let’s get you back to Basso’s, and we can talk okay?”

“No, please! I can just stay here. Out of everyone’s way. I won’t bother anyone, I promise.” Garrett frowned. “I-I overheard him. He doesn’t want me back.” She hung her head, pale hair curtaining over her eyes.

Garrett stroked his scruff idly as he considered what to do. The young woman in front of him was highly reluctant to return even if her reasoning was flawed, but the eaves of a rooftop in the middle of the day was not the best place to have conversations like these. Sleep was weighing heavily on his mind, making it hard to think.

“How about this,” the thief finally offered. “Come down with me. Go back to Basso’s for one day. Night. Whatever. Let me get some sleep so I can think. When I wake up I’ll come by. We can talk. Just you and me, okay?”

“Sure.” There was nothing but defeat in Revena’s voice as she stood. Garrett guided her down to street level and caught up to Basso.

“You found her! Eve! What were you thinking, disappearing on me like that!” Basso scolded. Revena flinched at his tone, instantly going even quieter than she had been.

“Hey Basso, lay off of her. I’m going home for some shut eye, but I’ll be back first thing tonight.”

“Okay. G’night G. Thanks.”

* * *

 

Several hours later, Garrett wiped the sleep out of his eyes and considered what his next move ought to be. Piercing grey eyes had haunted his dreams. Finally deciding on a location, he made his way over to Basso’s loft as the sun set.

“Garrett! You’re up early tonight,” his fence greeted him. “Got a job for you, if you’re up for it.”

“I said I’d be by first thing,” the thief rolled his eyes. “And tempting as that is, I actually have plans already. Is Revena up?”

Basso’s eyes instantly narrowed, voice growling protectively. “Garrett, I applaud your desire to seek out women, but not her. She’s not a one-night-stand kind of girl.”

Garrett couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not that kind of plan. I said I’d talk to her in private. That’s all.”

“Hrm. Go check for yourself then.” Basso waved him away.

Garrett ascended the stairs and found Revena’s door open. He knocked anyway before stepping inside. Revena was standing at a window, and the thief was struck with just how small she really was. Her head would probably rest comfortably on the center of his chest. The oversized dress wasn’t helping any with the look.

“You came.” She sounded surprised.

“Said I would. Do you have anything better for travelling at night?” She shook her head in negation. “Okay. Wait a second.”

Garrett hurried back downstairs and began to raid Basso’s ‘for sale’ closet. He had never bothered to steal clothing for anyone but himself, but some thieves did. Eventually he found a suitably dark pair of breeches and long sleeved shirt. He snagged a few belts as well and went back up, tossing the whole pile to the girl.

“Change into that as best you can,” he explained before hurriedly retreating out of the room and closing the door behind him. A few minutes later the door opened again and Revena stepped out, practically swimming in the clothing. It would have to do.

“Ready to go?”

The former aristocrat looked nervous but moved a step towards him. “Where exactly are we going?”

“Someplace quiet. I promised you that we’d talk alone with no interruptions.” He made his way to the window that led to a ledge along the thieves’ highway. “You coming?”

Revena joined him after a moment’s hesitation. The air was still warm from the day’s sun but was cooling quickly as autumn showed signs of setting in. Not enough to be unpleasant; the trees were a long ways off from changing colors, but the temperatures were beginning to drop to a more comfortable range. Garrett led her past the Old Quarter, and into an area mostly forgotten. The old cathedral stood tall and imposing in the near background, but that was not Garrett’s destination. Instead, he headed to an abandoned field. Rubble around the edges gave away that a building used to stand here, but all that remained were a few bits of framework that had been shaped into some kind of obstacle course. The thief let the young woman take in their surroundings for a moment as he unbuckled the bits of leather that weren’t directly attached to his clothing and began to stretch.

“What is this place?” She finally asked. Garrett shrugged.

“Someplace the rest of the City has forgotten. It suits my purposes, and no one knows it’s here. It’s a good place to think.”

“But now I know…” Revena said hesitantly.

“Mmm. But you said no one cared about you, so my secret is still safe, right?” Garrett was intentionally not looking at her, focusing instead on making sure his back muscles would be warmed up before his run through the course.

“Oh. “ Her voice sounded small. “I’ll just sit over here then. Out of the way?”

“You can if you want.” He tossed her a pocket watch and moved to a hanging piece of rope. “Keep time for me. Mark.”

Revena glanced down at the watch, marking the time, before turning her eyes back to the lithe thief in front of her. It seemed to her that he moved like a cat, climbing up one rope, over a ledge and across a thin beam, dropping down two levels before leaping to another rope which lead up. He ducked under a large pipe and vaulted over several pieces of debris before climbing another two ledges and sliding down a final rope to the ground.

“Mark.”

“One minute, fifty-two seconds,” Revena called out to him.

“Damn. I’m getting slow.” He walked over to where she was sitting and plopped down heavily next to her, breathing hard. “Have a go?”

“Oh I couldn’t…” She began, but Garrett cut her off with a wave of his hand.

“Right, right. Because you’re useless. Here I was thinking you were the woman who I chased half way across the City and nearly lost twice. The woman who defied her terrifying Thief-Taker General of a brother and risked his rather potent ire for some unfathomable reason just to get the nobles latest gossip to Basso. My mistake.”

Revena seemed to shrink in on herself at the mention of her brother, making her even smaller. Garrett turned to her. “Take a turn. Run off some anger. Or fear. Or whatever. Your time doesn’t matter, that’s just a game. When you come back, make sure you’re okay with talking though, because I don’t want half truths or lies. I don’t do this talking thing often. I ask something, I expect an answer. Clear?”

“Yessir.” Her reaction was immediate, but quiet. Revena popped upright, handed Garrett the watch, and worked the bottoms of her pant legs into something more useful before standing and moving to the first rope. “Mark.”

It took the girl considerably longer to run the course, the rope climbs seeming to be her nemesis. Garrett couldn’t decide if it was an equipment failure or a lack of muscle that was the problem, as she did seem to get tangled up in her clothes more than once. Eventually she slid down the final rope and landed, not with the grace that he had, but on her posterior.

“Oof. Mark.” She whimpered, and remained lying on the ground heaving for air. Garrett walked over to her.

“Over ten minutes. You okay?”

“S-sore.” She managed to stutter out between gasps.

“Just breathe. You’ll be alright in a minute.” The fact that she hadn’t done any kind of workout since her beating suddenly came rushing to Garrett’s mind. “Take your time.”

Eventually the young woman’s breathing slowed to a more normal pace and she pulled herself into a sitting position. “I guess…I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Garrett nodded. “What’s your full name?”

Revena barked out a laugh. “I thought this was a talk, not an interrogation.”

“Just thought we’d start with something you could easily answer,” the thief replied, a smirk twitching at his lips. “And remember you said you’d answer honestly.

“Fine, fine, fine. It’s Revena Jean.”

“You mean Revena Jean Harlan.”

“No. Thadeus took that from me when he kicked me out.”

“I see.” Garrett paused. “Jean? Really?”

Revena couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “You’re okay with Revena, which isn’t even a real name outside the Harlans, but not Jean? It isn’t common, but at least it’s used by people other than me.”

“Sorry,” Garrett let the smirk fly. “I just wasn’t expecting it. So what’s _with_ the name Revena, anyway?”

All joviality dropped from Revena’s demeanor. “It’s a name the Harlan’s use when someone is…unwanted. There’s a male version too.”

“I don’t-“

“Bastard children are the usual recipients. And people like me. It’s helpful at family gatherings, because you just get introduced and everyone who needs to knows, without having to say anything.”

“People…like you?”

She sighed and lay back in the grass once more, staring at the sky as if its vastness could give her answers. “Like I said. Unwanted. Thadeus is eight years older than me, and my parents were already older than many when they had him. He was the apple of my parents’ eye. Everything they ever wanted in a child. They thought they were done with children. And then I came along and ruined everything. So I was blessed with _the name_.”

Garrett remained silent but attentive, watching her face and eyes as she spoke. He could see the pain that echoed there from her heart.

“Father was in the Watch and ignored me when he could, Mother treated me more as a servant than a daughter, and Thadeus followed their example. I’ve always known exactly what I was worth. It was drilled into my head, along with the sins of the Gods. I guess I was seven when Father died.” She fell silent, seeming to lose herself in her thoughts.

“Go on,” Garrett gently prompted her.

“That was when things got bad,” she explained quietly. “It was my fault. I’d been up later than I should have, reading. Father had gotten angry and given me a beating for it. As a result he was too tired the next day. Didn’t see the danger. Couldn’t dodge out of the way. Someone’s crossbow went off and speared him in the stomach. Mother and Thadeus took out their anger and sadness on me. It was their right. I’d hurt them badly. Ruined everything. Again. It was less than a year before my mother replaced him with Thadeus. Three years later we had a bad winter. My mother got consumption of the lungs. She was gone by summer. Thadeus was so upset.”

“You always use his name. She’s your mother. He’s your father. But Thadeus is never your brother. Why?”

Revena tore her eyes from the sky to look at Garrett. “Because he told me not to. Rather forcefully. I was twelve. He said I looked like Mother.” She shrugged, suddenly finding a plucked blade of grass fascinating. “Tainted.”

They sat in silence as Garrett processed this information. _Eight years difference, and she was twelve. He would have been twenty._ He tried to picture himself taking a twelve-year-old girl the way he had Tori or any of the others and felt sick. _‘My mother replaced him with Thadeus’ she said. She couldn’t mean…Uch. What kind of sick family **is** this?_

“That’s awful,” he finally managed. Revena shrugged again, both used to the horror and unsure what to say next. “Did you…were you...I mean-“ Garrett searched for how to phrase his question. “Was it willing?”

“Do I enjoy fucking my own brother? Is that was you’re trying to ask?” Revena snorted softly. “I enjoy it a hell of a lot more than the other options. I enjoy it more than getting beaten or whipped. I get plenty of that from him as it is. I enjoy it more if I do what he wants the first time instead of resisting.” She swallowed. “He can be kind, if the mood takes him. Fighting him does not inclinate him to being kind, nor does incompetency. I learned quickly. Do I _want_ to bed him? No. Of course not. Do I fight him or protest at all when he comes? No. Of course not.”

The thief frowned. “You’re talking in present tense. He can’t hurt you anymore. It will take a while, but someday you’ll look around and realize that he isn’t behind you, judging you anymore, even in your head.”

“What would you know about it, Mr. Thief?”

“My name is Garrett, not Mr. Thief,” he reprimanded gently. “And I know more than you think, but that isn’t the point right now.”

“Then what is?”

“’Ugly and stupid and useless and tainted’” He quoted back at her. “You’re none of those. I want you to tell me why you think you are.”

“I just told you why I’m tainted.”

“Let’s come back to that. Ugly?”

“Is that so hard to understand? I’m well aware of how I stack up to other women. I have nothing they do. Nothing to offer. No appeal at all. I go to a ball and people’s eye’s pass over me like I’m not even there, and that’s only because there’s enough beautiful in the dress to make me invisible.”

“I’d disagree with that point rather strongly,” Garrett started, but Revena only rolled her eyes. “Apparently you aren’t willing to hear a counter on this point, so let’s move on. Stupid.”

“I can’t do anything right.” She held up her right wrist, now blemished with an angry red scar. “I can’t even die right. There’s something funny about that, but I can’t seem to laugh much anymore.”

“Let me guess. They – your parents that is – told you that you were doing everything wrong. That you were a stupid girl who couldn’t figure out even the most simple things without help. That sort of thing?” Revena glanced at him, eyes wide in surprise. “I told you I know more than you think. The only thing you ever did wrong is believe them, and that’s understandable. They were your parents after all. Why would they lie to you? But consider this. You found Basso. You made the offer of giving information. And you kept it hidden from the General for two years. That takes skills, smarts, talent. An idiot could not have done it. Wouldn’t have even thought of it.”

“But I was caught.”

“So? I’ve been caught. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m a damned good blackhand.”

“Hm. But when you get caught, you can come back, and still be a thief. I’m no good to anyone. I just sit there and take up space.”

“So don’t just sit there.”

“It isn’t that easy!”

“Sure it is. Look, you want to pay Basso back for his time and energy, right? Whoring yourself out isn’t the answer, but maybe working is. There are options.”

Revena was quiet in her answer. “I don’t know how to do anything besides lie on my back.”

“And apparently how to lift things. How to run the roofs. Hell you’ve got the makings of a decent thief now. Why not go all the way?”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Of course I am. Look, Basso can teach you what he knows and you’ll pick the rest up as you go, same as the rest of us did. He was thinking about asking Bill if he needed a barmaid and I’m sure the option is still there, but I bet he’d go for it.”

“I guess,” she said dubiously. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Settled then. That brings us back to tainted. Which you aren’t. Your brother forced himself on you. That’s not your fault. It doesn’t make you a bad person – it makes him a monster.”

“Really,” she chuffed. “And what man would want me, knowing that not only have I shared a bed with Thadeus, but I’ve done so for _six years_? What man would want to touch me, knowing just how thoroughly my trough has been plowed? Who could love someone like that?” Her tone was so bitter Garrett was sure he could have bottled it and sold it to Doctor Troy as a remedy.

“If he loved you, he would understand.”

“Ha.”

“He would forgive it; let it go.”

“Oh yeah? Would you?” Revena spoke to him as generic member of the male gender, but Garrett couldn’t help considering the question seriously.

“Yes, I could,” his tone was hushed, but Revena was suddenly paying very close attention to him. “It might take a bit of doing to get over the physical side of it, but mentally? Yeah.”

“Oh. Um.”

Garrett smiled to himself as he reached over to gather his armor. “Shall we go ask Basso if his little sister can become a blackhand then?”

“His WHAT?!”

“Oh. Right. I knew I was forgetting something. Basso has apparently decided to adopt you into the family. I think he’d stick you in a bird cage next to Jenivere but you’d probably object, so he’s going for ‘little sister’ instead.”

Revena closed her eyes, pained. “I should think so. Fine. Don’t forget your watch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beloved Readers: Please believe I am well aware that it takes more than one conversation to bring someone out of a deep depressive funk such as the one Revena is in. That said, I'm trying to keep the story moving forward and not get too caught up in the 'Iwannadie' attitude. Bad for my health. Besides, a private conversation with Garrett is enough to help anyone, right? ;)


	12. Chapter 12

Basso had been surprised when Revena and Garrett had come back together, and while she wasn’t better, her mood was much improved. But what had taken him completely by aback was their suggestion that Revena become a thief full time under Basso’s tutelage. At first he was less than thrilled by the idea but slowly he warmed to it, realizing that if the hours they kept were similar it would be easier on everyone.

Basso sounded Revena out. She was a decent lifter of items, but couldn’t pick a pocket to save her life. She was moderate with a lock and was willing to be taught more. She was light on her feet, acrobatic but not particularly muscular – a lifetime of aristocratic ballroom dancing. She flinched away at the idea of any kind of violence. Basso supposed that was a reaction to the General’s rough treatment of her. For the first few weeks, she was quickly reduced to tears whenever she was reprimanded no matter how gentle he was about it. Slowly Revena began to trust that he had no intentions of hurting her. Once he determined she was ready, the fence sent her to Tay, accompanied by Garrett.

“Have you met Tay before, Revena?” Garrett asked as they made their way over the streets.

“No, but I’ve seen his work. We always used Alfonso.”

The two thieves entered Tay’s workshop, Garrett dropping his mask as he did so. Revena’s eyes grew wide as the red-head greeted them.

“Ah my dear lady, what a pleasure to meet you! Basso has told me much of you. I simply cannot wait to get started. It will be nice to have one of my more shadowy clients actually appreciate my work, you have no idea. Well, perhaps you do. Oh, hello again Garrett.”

Garrett nodded his greeting, suppressing a snicker. “Go on, don’t be rude.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. Revena Har- er… Revena. Nice to meet you.” She said extending a hand. Tay gently took her middle two fingers and brushed his lips to her knuckles, eliciting a small smile from Revena. Garrett’s chest tightened.

“To business then? Basso told me that you practically require an entire wardrobe, but he didn’t mention much in the way of particulars.”

“I don’t have anything at all. I’ve had to borrow things from him,“ Revena held her arms out helplessly, displaying the oversized clothing, “and I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but…”

“Good heavens, my girl, yes I see. Get out of that garbage immediately so I can take your measurements, and then I’ll get you a robe and we can discuss style while I get those at least somewhat closer to your size.”

Again, Garrett noticed a certain brightness on Revena’s face, as if a smile were creeping around just out of sight. He wasn’t sure if he should be glad that she was finding pleasure in something or upset that it was in this man. She started to unbutton her shirt, before realizing that he was still there.

“Um. Can you, you know, turn around, or something?”

“What, you’ll undress for a man you met two minutes ago, but not me?” Garrett asked jokingly.

“But he wouldn’t be-“ Revena began, then started over. “I mean, this is his job,” she reasoned.

Without another word, Garrett turned his back. His ears picked up the sounds of nails on buttons as she fumbled with the huge shirt and then the soft slide of fabric hitting the floor.

“Here we are,” Tay had returned with a measuring tape in one hand and a pad of paper in the other, pencil tucked over his ear. He disappeared from Garrett’s view, who suddenly felt helpless as he listened.

“Okay, let’s get your overall height. Stand up straight for me…good. Hmm, your hair is in the way, can you lift it? Here, this should hold it. That’s better. Neck size…Shoulder width - goodness you have a lot of scaring on your back, we’ll need to cover that…hold your arms out so I can get them and your bust size…good.” There was a small gasp from Revena, “Sorry, the tape measure is a little cold…there, you can let your arms down…waist…hips…thigh…Okay, inseam. Can you hold this end? Wouldn’t want to be accused of impropriety. Okay, got it. You can put on the robe.”

Another shuffle of fabric before Revena said to Garrett, “Okay, you can turn back around.” He turned as she let her hair tumble back down her back and he stared, momentarily mesmerized. Completely unaware of the effect she was having on him, she continued, “I’m sure this is all boring you out of your mind. I can get back on my own if you want to go.”

“And leave you alone with him? I don’t think so.”

“Garrett…”

“I’m not going anywhere. Basso asked me to look after his _little sister_ , and that’s what I intend to do.” His wording was as much to remind himself of his position and role as her.

“Come over here, my dear, and I’ll show you what I have in mind,” Tay called, holding out a chair at his work table. “Given your coloring, I think greys and blues and greens are the best choices, like one of those nasty fogs that rolls in from the sea from time to time.”

Revena sat, leaning into the other man to see as Tay drew. “I trust your judgment. I’m afraid I had very little fashion sense before, and even less now.”

“A woman as pretty as you with no fashion sense? Nonsense! You simply haven’t discovered your stylistic voice. Even Garrett figured it out with a little help!” Tay jutted his pencil over his shoulder at the leather-clad man.

“But I’m not!” She protested.

“Not what?”

“Pretty.”

Tay stopped his doodling, the vehemence in her voice capturing his complete attention. “Good Gods woman, of course you are. You’ve just never been dressed properly to show it off.”

“I’ve worn pretty dresses before,” Revena answered quietly. “Despite the adage, the clothes do not make the man. Girl in my case.”

“And who gave you these pretty dresses? Who made them for you?” There was an outrage in Tay’s voice that Garrett suspected was mostly professional.

“Alfonso.”

“Pfft. That fraud? He couldn’t make a dress worth wearing if you pinned the pattern to his ass. No my dear. To be properly dressed is far different than to be _dressed up_. Listen closely. If done correctly then yes, the clothes are beautiful, but no one sees them at first. The compliments are for the person wearing them first, and the dressings second. If it’s the other way around then something has gone wrong. Rest assured that _my_ clothing will show you to your best advantage.” Tay took a breath, re-centering his attention. “Now then. Let us start with your blackhand gear. Obviously you’ll be unable to wear a dress, but we mustn’t lose your femininity or sense of decency…”

The pair’s conversation turned to matters purely of fashion, and Garrett found his mind wandering. Occasionally they would ask for his input about the tools of the trade, and what would be required to house them, but otherwise they seemed to be occupied in their own world.

“Okay then. I think that does it. These should at least be useable now.” Tay said as he handed Revena her old clothing, breaking through Garrett’s fog. “As for the other, I’ll need you to come back for fittings of course, but I have a pretty good idea of what’s required. I’ll send word to Basso when I need you again. Of course, you’re welcome to come by any time...” The offer was accompanied by a smile that was almost a leer, and to Garrett’s chagrin Revena returned it.

“Maybe I will, if I’m in the area. Thank you so much, Tay!” On impulse, Revena wrapped her arms around his neck for a quick hug – her first voluntary human contact since coming to Basso. Tay didn’t even get the chance to return it before she was gone again, but it was enough. Garrett gritted his teeth.

“Revena, change upstairs. I’ll be there in a bit.”

“Aren’t you coming?”

“In a moment.”

Tay raised an eyebrow in question as the young woman ascended the stairs alone. “Is this where you warn me off of her? If so, I’ll remind you she initiated it.”

“No. Her life is hers. Warning people off is Basso’s. I’m just playing messenger.” He reached behind him and found a small purse heavy with coin and note at his belt, both of which he handed to Tay.

“Should I read it now?” Garrett nodded. As Tay scanned the message within his eyes widened. “Are you aware-?” Another nod. “Is this wise?”

“I’ll be with her if something goes wrong.”

“Will you? So then you’ll also be needing-“

“Yes. If you get it close and leave enough in the seams I’ll come in for a fitting. I’m not getting measured though. And she isn’t to know about any of it. Let Basso know when it’s done.”

Tay nodded thoughtfully, already fingering his pencil again as Garrett made his way to the staircase.

“Oh and Tay? If anything happens and you end up hurting her…” He let the threat hang. Revena was dressed and waiting for him, the clothes less baggy, but still far from flattering.

“What was that about?” she asked curiously.

“Just delivering something for Basso. Let’s go.”

* * *

 

Two weeks later, Revena was positively beaming inside Basso’s office. She was wearing her brand new blackhand gear for the very first time, and both men were admiring it. A dark grey cowl captured her hair and from it hung a black netting which served as a sort of face mask. A tight fitting black shirt showed no skin – its high collar hid her neck and its sleeves transformed into fingerless gloves. Over this she wore a blue-grey under-bust corset similar to Garrett’s harness that was adorned with copper buckles. Her lower half was covered by grey and black striped pants that hugged her hips scandalously. Her rear was covered by a small but long green-grey bustle. Calf-high black lace-up boots completed the outfit.

“So…what do you think?” She demanded of them, twirling in place.

“You look fantastic, Revena. I’m a little surprised there isn’t more armor though,” Basso commented.

“Tay thought about it,” the woman admitted, “but realistically it wouldn’t do me much good. If I’m seen I can run or give up, but fighting isn’t a choice for me. So Tay figured that being lighter and less burdened was better.” She looked hopefully at Garrett.

“It will do,” the thief said gruffly.

“Oh.” Revena answered, crestfallen.

“Here’s a basic job. Why don’t the two of you go test it out.” Basso handed a paper with the details to Garrett who took it without a word. He shot a glance at Revena and left, leaving the young woman to scramble to catch up.

It was several hours before they returned. Revena went straight upstairs, without saying a word. A door could be heard closing firmly behind her.

“Did it not go well?” the fence inquired.

“It went fine. The bustle is going to take some getting used to, same as my cloak and coattails did but she’ll be okay.” Garrett deposited their take onto his desk.

“Then what was that about?” He gestured to the stairs with his head.

“Just some advice I gave her on the way back that she didn’t want to hear. She’ll get over it.”

“Now I’m curious…”

“She was gushing on and on about Tay. I think she has a crush on him. I told her that physical relationships are fine, but thieves can’t afford feelings. If your mind isn’t on the job you’re going to get caught and turned over to the Watch and the General.” Garrett shrugged. “She didn’t like that much; got real quiet. We came back.”

“Huh.” Basso was looking at him shrewdly. “Do you actually believe that?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t. Why?”

“Just curious. That big job is coming up, and Tay’s finished with his end of it. There can’t really be tension between you, it’ll show. Besides, I’ve seen the way you look at her when you think I’m not watching.”

“It’s just physical.”

“Like hell it is. You tense up whenever she walks in the room, and now this? You’re jealous. You need to fix this, Garrett. One way or another. Before the job.”

“So, what? I have your permission now? Because before you said…”

“I know what I said. And I meant it. You know her past better than I do. You hurt her and I’ll kick your scrawny ass all the way over to the General myself. So don’t hurt her.”

Garrett nodded, considering.


	13. Chapter 13

It was two more days before Garrett summoned the courage to talk to Revena about his conversation with Basso. He’d left a note for her with Basso earlier in the evening and left for the field in Old Quarter. The thief had set a hard pace for himself tonight, and despite the distinct chill in the air was overheating quite badly. He peeled his shirt off, threw it onto the growing pile of clothing in one corner of the field, which left him with his pants and shoes. Garrett ran the considerably longer course he had set up, feeling eyes on him as he came to the end. Revena was standing there, mouth slightly ajar.

“Revena, hey.” He said in greeting, sweat dripping from his brow as he landed on the balls of his feet next to her.

“Uh. Hi. Am I, er, interrupting?” the young woman stuttered.

“Naw. I wouldn’t have asked you out here if you would have been.” Revena’s eyes seemed to be locked onto his chest heaving up and down for breath. “We need to talk. I’m just not sure what to say…or how to say it.”

The young woman looked away at that. “Oh. This is about before. Look I got your message loud and clear, okay. I’m not allowed to be happy. No happiness for me - ever. I get it. You don’t need to rub it in.”

Lost in his own thoughts, it took a moment for her words to penetrate. “I was- wait, what? You’ve got it all wrong.” Garrett sighed. “I was the one in the wrong, okay? What I said was wrong. Well, sort of. When you’re on a job, you need to keep your mind on the job, right? But that doesn’t mean that you can’t be happy when you aren’t working - that you can’t find someone who makes you happy. It just doesn’t do anyone any good if you’re on a job, thinking about what to wear on your next date, and get caught. You don’t get the job done, and you don’t get to go on your date. You just have to keep them separate. Make sense?”

“Yeah, great.” She didn’t sound pleased.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“Talk to me, Revena.”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

Garrett moved closer. “Please,” he pressed.

“Tay asked me out to dinner last night. I told him no.” Her eyes dropped to the ground. “The first man who told me I was pretty – who’s ever shown any interest in me as a person. And I told him no.”

Garrett swallowed. He gently trailed a finger down her cheek and under her chin, lifting slightly to force Revena to look at him. “Not the first.” It was barely a whisper.

“Wha-? But…you said…” Revena’s voice was a cracked whisper itself.

“I don’t think I was talking to you that night, Revena.” He started to bend his head to kiss her when Revena pushed away from him.

“No! I can’t do this.” She turned away and took several steps from him before he could grab her wrist, stalling her retreat.

“Revena, please don’t run from me.”

“What do you want from me, Garrett? To taunt me just with your presence? To give me false hope, just to rip it away? To laugh as I fall further into that Gloom that threatens to consume my soul every second of every day? I know damned well you don’t want anything to do with my ugly face. You’d rather work alone than be babysitting my ineptitude and cleaning up my messes.” She pulled her wrist from his grip. “We must be punished for our sins. I must have really fucked up for the Gods to be so angry with me.”

With that pronouncement, Revena ran from the field back towards the City. Garrett stared after her, somewhere between amazed and stunned. The sweat cooling on his body, he gathered his clothing and headed back to Basso’s, hoping the other man could shed some light on the young woman’s behavior.

“She said what?!”

“That was my reaction.” The little thief sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”

“She isn’t back yet. You could always try again when she does.”

“And say what exactly?”

“Why say anything?”

“She’s not exactly eager to pick up where the General left off.”

“Fair point. Hmm.” Basso’s brow furrowed in thought. “HA! I’ve got it. Here’s what we’re going to do…”

* * *

 

It was a week and a half later, late afternoon. Extremely early morning for a thief, and Basso was banging on Revena’s door.

“Come on, Sis. Time to wake up.”

“MrphnSrphmGowaytooerly.”

“Got a surprise for ya,” he offered.

“Morsleeeep?” came the hopeful reply.

“Nooo…something else. Wake up or I’m coming in there and getting you up myself.”

“Urgggggggh.” The sound was positively zombie-like and followed by a thump that Basso was sure was Revena falling out of bed. A few moments later the door swung open to reveal Revena, wrapped in a robe and eyes heavy with sleep.

“That’s a pretty fantastic case of bed-head you’ve got going. Throw on a dress and brush your hair. We need to get some food in you and get to Tay’s.”

Revena automatically reached for her comb. “Tay’s? Why? What’s going on, Basso?”

“Told you, it’s a surprise. Don’t go back to sleep. I’ll be back in fifteen with some toast.”

Revena emerged from her room before Basso had to return to her. Basso handed her a piece of vaguely burnt bread, put his hat on and took her by the elbow, leading her into the street and over to Stonemarket.

“Can you at least tell me why I had to get up so early? This is ridiculous!” Revena knew she was whining, but was too sleepy to do anything about it.

“There’s a big job I need you for tonight.”

“A job?” The young lady was torn between a need to pout and being intrigued.

“Yes. There’s an ancient scepter I need you to steal for me. It will be on display with others of its type, but there’s only one I want. It’s carved from weirwood with burnished copper and has a cloudstone head. The whole display room is probably heavily guarded.”

“So…Garrett?”

Basso just smiled at her as they entered Tay’s Fashions from the front door. A small bell rang to announce their presence, making Revena feel strangely out of place.

“Just a moment!” came Tay’s call. A moment later he emerged. “Oh, it’s you. Well let’s get you ready.” Tay was distinctly unwelcoming.

“Tay I-“ Revena started, but the red-head cut her off.

“Come on then. There is a lot to do, and very little time. Basso you too. We’ll need all the help we can get.”

“Um…what exactly do I need to get ready for…isn’t this just a job?”

“Not exactly. You’re going undercover. Lord and Lady Signoli are holding a fall masquerade at their home in Dayport. I’ve acquired an invitation for you. You’ll have a contact once you get inside – he’ll be a match to you but arriving separately,” Basso explained.

“Yes, yes, so you need to get ready. It’s a rather elaborate costume.” Tay added as Revena stepped behind a privacy panel and began to undress. Tay scurried back and forth with armfuls of fabric, hair-brush and accoutrements, makeup, and her mask. When she emerged two full hours later and blushing furiously, Basso swore under his breath.

“Damn Tay. She’s supposed to be undercover. How the hell is that going to be able to do her job if everyone is looking at her?”

“That _is_ undercover. Everyone will be wondering what noble is under the mask, and far too busy worrying about that to suspect her of shadow games – at least until it’s too late. Trust me on this. I know how nobles think.”

“If you say so, Tay.” Basso turned to Revena. “Here’s your invite. I’ve got a carriage out front waiting for you, Eve. When you’ve got it, hand the scepter over to your contact. He’ll get it out of the party for you.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

“Yes. Your pass signs to recognize your contact. I’d think it would be obvious with your costume, but…”

“I get it.”

“Good. Come on, the carriage is waiting.”

Basso escorted her into the waiting carriage. Her ride navigated the streets of the City efficiently and within half an hour pulled up to a well appointed manor, depositing Revena into a stone courtyard in front of a fountain. A man dressed with a bird mask was waiting at a large double door.

“Invitation please?”

“Oh…yes.” Revena handed over the envelope, hand trembling.

“Excellent. Go right in, Miss.”

Suddenly thrust back into this world of aristocratic pomp, Revena found herself falling back into old habits of trying to blend in and quickly found a wall to hold up.

* * *

 

Garrett had arrived at the ball some time earlier and was desperately attempting to avoid making too many social gaffes while waiting for his date to arrive on the scene. Sipping at his cup of wine, he couldn’t help but laugh to himself at some of the elaborate shows the nobles were putting on for each other. One woman was dressed as a butterfly complete with wings, antennae and extra legs; she was having trouble on the dance floor. Garrett himself was dressed smartly in a bright red uniform, a metal helmet covering his eyes, and a large hammer hanging at his waist. He was clean shaven for this event as well, and he kept having to remind himself not to scratch at his bare lip and chin. Tay had added platforms to his shoes to give him a few inches to his height He adjusted his helmet and was about to seek out the hors d’oeuvres when Revena finally appeared, immediately capturing his attention.

Her dress was blue, with a highly detailed golden corset. She was wearing matching golden gloves and shoes, and anywhere skin was showing (mostly her bust, Garrett noted) was also gilded. Her gold mask covered three quarters of her face, leaving only her lips – painted the same blue as her dress – showing and was extremely mechanistic looking with gears and wires twining into her hair. Her jewelry was made up of gold and sapphires and carried on the mechanical theme. She was also obviously his other half. He watched as she immediately headed towards the nearest wall, folding her arms around herself and looking distinctly uncomfortable. He grabbed a second glass of wine and threaded his way through the crowd to her.

“Servant,” Garrett greeted her in a voice a bit deeper than normal.

“Master,” Revena replied with a curtsy.

“Wine my dear? It might calm your nerves.”

“What? Oh! Um, thank you.” She took the glass from him but held it without drinking.

“So what’s the plan then?”

“Plan? I thought…”

“I’m just your get away man, my sweet. _You_ are the one in charge here. This is your job to succeed or fail on.” Garrett explained with a smile.

Revena’s eyes dropped to the floor. “Mine? I- I hadn’t realized I was completely on my own. I’m used to having a partner. Sorry. My first job alone and I’m already screwing up.”

“You’re doing fine,” The older thief soothed softy. “Just take your time and think it through. Maybe while we dance?” He offered her a hand invitingly.

A twitch of her lips told Garrett he’d struck a chord in her as Revena hesitantly took his offer and he led her to the edge of the ball room where the orchestra was playing a waltz. Garrett had always known the young woman was small, but it was made blatantly apparent to him on the dance floor. His hand wrapped nearly half way around her waist and when he lifted her she seemed as light as a feather, skirts swirling around them in a cloud of blue and gold. The tall shoes made her seem even smaller in comparison to him. As much as he simply wanted to lock eyes with her, she kept darting them around the room, taking everything in as they danced. For a few minutes Garrett forgot their purpose there and was simply enjoying himself and his company, so it was somewhat of a jolt when the music ended and Revena pulled him off the dance floor.

“Master, please,” she whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down Garrett’s spine. “Come with me.” Once they were safely out of earshot of the other guests she continued. “There are guards at both exits to the stairs. If we wait until late enough in the evening, I bet we can get past them by playing at being a naughty couple looking for some privacy. I’ve seen it enough times in the past to know the guards will look the other way. Once we’re past them we find you a dark corner where you can play the drunken guest and I’ll go find the prize. I’ll give it to you, and we’ll go back the way we came looking properly flushed. No one will be the wiser until it’s too late.”

“You want to be…naughty with me?”

“No, of course not. Only make the guards believe that we are. And I hardly see a choice. I don’t have the strength to overcome one of these other gentlemen. You’ll stop once we’re clear.”

“I see. Quite a lot of trust you’re putting in someone you just met.”

“Not in the slightest. I’m trusting Basso. You try anything, you’d better believe he and Garrett will hear about it – and I suspect neither will be pleased.”

Garrett couldn’t help but smile as his own name was mentioned as a giver of retribution. “No doubt they wouldn’t. Very well. It seems to me we have some time to kill then. Another dance, m’lady?”

Another couple hours into the evening and it was obviously time to begin Revena’s plan as the wine had flowed freely and more than one couple had already left, doing exactly as the lady thief had outlined. Garrett pulled his ‘servant’ by the hand from the floor with a hoarse whisper of ‘It’s time,’ before capturing her chin with one hand and her lower back with the other. A soft squeak was all Revena had time for before Garrett lowered his head to cover her lips with his own. She stiffened in his arms in surprise but quickly melted, her body seeming to mold itself into his as his lips gently caressed hers.

A breathy “Oh!” was all she could manage when he finally released her from that first kiss. More kisses followed as Garrett slowly backed Revena towards the nearest wall, suddenly desiring to pin her there and nibble along her neck and ears. She let him with soft whimpers of desire, hands twining up around his shoulders. They might have continued in this fashion but another guest let out a wolf whistle at them. Revena pushed Garrett away with a blush, then took him by the hand and giggling, led him towards one of the staircases. The two guards smiled indulgently and said nothing as the two thieves sprinted past them. They found an empty guest bedroom and laid claim. Garrett moved behind her, gently holding her shoulders and kissing her neck lightly.

“Any chancing of continuing where we left off downstairs?” He asked with a lazy smile.

“Nope. Eyes on the job.” She stepped away from him as Garrett sighed. Revena knelt to reach the bottom of her dress, which apparently hid several things, including a release for the skirt, leaving her in tight blue leggings.

“Wow.”

“What? I can hardly skulk around in that thing. It’s huge.”

“That wasn’t what I meant, my dear. I was talking about you.”

“Eyes on the job!” Revena repeated, rolling her own. The underside of the skirt was hiding a long black hooded cloak which she flung on, somewhat covering the gold of her corset and skin. “Okay, I’m gone. Act like you’re passed out drunk if anyone comes in. That will explain the skirt as well.”

Garrett reclined indolently on the bed. “I thought I was the Master?” he asked.

Not deigning to give his barb a reply, Revena slipped out the door. Garrett tried to think calming thoughts and not about how soft her skin felt under his fingers, how sweet Revena tasted on his tongue, or how well her body seemed to fit into his.

* * *

 

_Master, indeed! As if that man were a master of anything except making a fool of himself…and kissing…he was pretty good at that. Okay he was great. I mean, wow. And his body? Whew! And he wanted me! Me! I’m a fool for telling him no. Maybe later I could- ARGH! Eyes on the **job** , Revena!_

The lady blackhand ducked into yet another shadowed doorway as yet another guard rounded a corner and passed her. As he went by she dodged behind him, silently turning the corner and running down the hallway before finding another shadow to hide in as the guard came back, his circuit completed. She watched as he made his way to the end of the hall, stood for a moment at a pair of large double doors then turned and began his circuit once more. When he’d passed Revena’s hiding place again, she snuck behind him and examined the doors in front of her. There was a plaque to one side proudly proclaiming this to be the ‘Exhibit Hall’. Checking for wires, she could see three different alarms or traps set to the doors as well as the fact they were just plain locked. She raked it lightly and felt a rather complicated pin set. She heard footsteps and ducked back to her hiding spot, letting her eyes follow the near invisible wiring into a room just across the hall from where she current was.

Once it was safe again she walked over and quietly unlatched the door glancing inside. It was empty. She slipped in, leaving the door open just a crack so she could keep an eye on the hall patrol guard. There was a desk with several switches and even more buttons, and none of them labeled. Revena gritted her teeth, knowing that pressing the wrong one could set off the alarm rather than silencing it. She peeked out of the door and tried to follow one of the wires to its source, but lost it when it entered an electrical panel under the desk. Opening it, she found an extremely tidy fuse box. The switches and buttons may not have been marked, but the fuses were. Revena pulled all seven of the ones that read ‘Exhibit Hall’ and then closed the panel and hid, waiting several minutes for any response to her actions.

When there was none, she dared to move again. She made sure the guard had just started his circuit, giving herself the maximum possible time to work on the lock. She was glad she did, finally clicking home the last pin and slipping inside just as the guard rounded the corner. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief before looking around. Apparently the lights had been one of the fuses she had pulled, as the entire room was quite dark. The hall was full of ancient things, keystones, vases, jewelry, all still beautiful, and Revena found herself fascinated by the beauty they held even now. She walked the hall slowly, taking her time to appreciate the collection even in the dark. Eventually she came upon her prize. The glass case was locked, but she made quick work of it and slid the scepter down her corset next to her spine, before closing and relocking the case. She knelt at the double door to peer through the keyhole for the guard and slipped out when it was safe, again locking it behind her. She reset the fuses in the fuse box before carefully returning to where the ‘Master’ was awaiting her return.

* * *

 

“Took you long enough. Did you get it?” Garrett asked gruffly, sliding off the bed and trying to hide his relief.

“Would I be back if I didn’t?” Revena retorted, pulling the scepter from behind her.

A low whistle showed Garrett’s appreciation for the piece. “Where was it, a throne room?”

“Close enough. An exhibit hall on the top floor. This floor is loosely guarded but from the next floor up it is tight security. You’d think they’ve been stolen from before.”

“Oh they have. I- ah- Garrett cleaned them out pretty hard a couple of years ago. They’ve been paranoid ever since. Which is why Basso wanted you to take only the scepter and leave no trace. It’s fun scaring the nobles.”

“Heh.” Revena slid her skit back on over her leggings, handing the cloak and scepter to Garrett.

“Hey, come here.”

“What?”

“Well, we were supposed to be doing something else up here. You should look properly ravished when we go back down.”

“Are you offering to ravish me?” Revena asked archly, hoping that the quickening of her pulse wasn’t blatantly obvious at her neck.

“I wasn’t after the warning you gave me, but…” Garrett stepped up to her and crushed his lips to hers, his hands winding up her neck and into her hair, loosening a few locks from their gears and wires. He kissed down her neck, trailing with his tongue, intentionally smearing the gold paint applied there; over her collarbone and shoulder, pulling down her sleeve slightly to give him better access. Revena whimpered softly, her eyes closed and head tipped to the side. Garrett allowed his hands to drift further down, unlacing the bottom of her corset. He kissed her again, cupping her face gently in his hands before pulling away and admiring his work. She was flushed and breathless.

“There. Now you look like you’ve had quite a good time in bed. I’d say we can safely go back and make our way out and back to Basso.”

Reality seemed to snap back into place for Revena, the moment broken. “Yes, I suppose we can. Let’s go.” She spun and walked out the door, leaving Garrett to appreciate the sway of her hips as he trailed in her wake, scepter hidden by the cloak that was thrown over his arm. As they entered the main ball room the guards gave each other and Garrett a knowing wink and a sly thumbs up. He caught up to her and wrapped an arm possessively around her waist as he guided her to the exit and hailed one of the waiting carriages.

“I think we’d like to get a mug of ale before heading home. To the Crippled Burrick if you please.” He told the driver. “I’ll see her safely home from there.”

The driver snorted disbelievingly, but clucked his horses into motion, depositing the two outside the Burrick no worse for wear. Garrett paid the driver (and promptly stole it back) before the two made their way to the back and into Basso’s office where the fence was waiting for them.

“You’re back! How did it go? Did you get it? Of course you got it, what am I saying? Why are you all roughed up like that? What did you do to her?!” Basso demanded.

“Easy there, Basso. It was _her_ plan.” Garrett pulled out the scepter from under the cloak and tossed it to the fence with a smirk.

“It went fine, Basso. Nothing went wrong at all, and no one will suspect anything until they actually look in the case and see the thing is missing.” Revena added, beginning to take her hair down. “There were quite a few guards but none of them saw me, and I put everything back like I found it before I left, just like,” She stopped to take her mask off, and Garrett was surprised to see the gold paint covered her whole face including her eyelashes and brows, “you told me. I need to get this make-up off, it’s starting to itch.” She went upstairs.

“And?” Basso asked once she was gone.

“And what?”

“She sure didn’t get lookin’ like that on her own. And you said it was her plan?”

“Oh that. Apparently it’s a thing for nobles to pair off at this sort of party and take advantage of their hosts spare bedrooms, or balconies, or dark corners. It was how we got past the first set of guards. She had to look proper when we came back so I made sure she did.”

“ **And?** ”

“And we kissed, more than once. And it was amazing. And if I don’t get to do it again I think I or at least my pants might explode. And…And she has no idea that I’m me,” Garrett sighed. “I think at the end – after we had the scepter – she would have let me go further, but dammit, I want her to know that it’s me. I don’t want her first willing time to be with someone she considers a stranger. But how do I tell her it was me under here the whole time?” He knocked on the helmet to make his point.

“Golly, that’s a toughie. Maybe you could, Idunno, just _tell her_?”

“Tell me what?” Revena reappeared at the top of the stairs and came down to re. She had washed most of the gold off and dropped the full ball gown skirt of the evening. She had pulled her hair up into a simple ponytail to keep it out of the way.

Basso pointed cleared his throat and glared at the other man who sighed again and removed the offending helmet revealing his face and allowing his own ponytail to trail down between his shoulder blades. Revena stared, mouth agape, and the room was dead silent for several minutes.

“Garrett.” She finally managed. It wasn’t a question. Garrett nodded anyway. “ _Garrett._ ” She said again, except this time it was more of a whispered curse.

“Revena, I can-“

“No.” She cut him off. It was quiet, but forceful.

“Come on, sis. You-“ Basso tried.

“How could you? How could you lie to me like that?” Revena accused. “Of all the people in the world, I trusted _you_ , Basso. I asked about Garrett, and you implied he wasn’t involved. You made me think that you trusted me enough to do jobs on my own without him babysitting me, but it was just a lie. He was there to clean up my mess because you were expecting me to screw it up. Just like always.” She spun and pounded back up the stairs, disappearing into her room.

“Oh yeah. That went great.” Garrett deadpanned.

It was Basso’s turn to sigh. “Let me go talk to her. She’ll calm down and see reason.”

“No. This is my mess. Let me clean it up. Please,” the thief added at Basso’s look of disbelief. He stood and followed after Revena. As he reached the top, he could hear sniffles emanating from Revena’s room. Her door was open so Garrett let himself in and saw her sprawled on top of her bed, face down and sobbing quietly into a pillow.

“Oh, my sweet, please don’t cry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Garrett began, walking slowly. When she didn’t respond at all he kept going, reaching the side of her bed. “I’m sorry I hid who I was from you. Please believe I never would have if I’d known this would have been the result. I never wanted to be the source of discord between you and Basso.” He reached down and stroked Revena’s hair. “It wasn’t you or Basso who did anything wrong. It was me. I messed up and I’m sorry. Between what you said the other day at the training field and now this, it’s clear that you don’t feel anything but disdain for me. Maybe that’s for the best.” Garrett stood and moved to the door.

“Wait…” Revena’s voice was shaky but Garrett stopped, frozen in his tracks. She still hadn’t lifted her head from the pillow, so her voice was muffled. “Why?” The question was thick with tension and multiple meanings. Garrett moved back to her and gently pulled at her shoulders. Revena allowed it, sitting up and cradling the pillow in her lap.

“Why. Because you _are_ ready to go on jobs on your own. Because you needed to be confident of your moves knowing that I wasn’t at your back. Because you are a beautiful and capable woman. Because I can talk to you in a way I can’t with anyone else – even Basso. Because it hurts me when I look at you and see how much pain you’re in, how wounded your heart is. I want to do nothing but heal it, and I can’t because you don’t trust me, or anyone enough to let them in to see the real you. I had hoped that you would realize that you deserved to be happy – that you could be happy if your masked prince turned out to be me. Because I wanted you to know it was me, and not some stranger. But I did everything wrong. And now you must hate me. I'm not even sure that's a bad thing.”

“I could never hate you,” Revena replied faintly.

“No? You make a pretty good case for it…”

Revena shook her head. “Never. I…” She shook her head again, unable to speak.

Garrett smoothed a strand of hair from her face. “What is it? Please. If you don’t hate me then what? Teacher and student? Friends? Foes? Revena, I’m confused when it comes to you. What are we to each other?”

Revena finally looked up at him. “I don’t know, Garrett. I don’t know anything. I’m scared.”

“Scared?” The word choice startled him. “Of me?”

“Yes. No. Sort of.” She sighed and hugged her pillow tighter. “I don’t think I could handle being hurt. I mean, I’m well aware that you enjoy truly beautiful women and I’m definitely not. The second someone else – anyone else – comes along, I’ll be left in the dust, forgotten, with nothing but a broken heart. I don’t think I can handle that.”

Garrett had to close his eyes briefly as her words crashed over him. “Firstly, broken heart? Are you saying…?” Revena nodded miserably. “Huh. Well. If it’s any help, me too…I think.” Revena sat up straight and really looked at him for the first time since he’d entered the room. Garrett cleared his throat, feeling a touch uncomfortable.

“And second, I do enjoy truly beautiful women. And you are one. Maybe you aren’t to everyone’s taste, but so what? You’re to mine, and I happen to have excellent taste. Will…will you come with me? There’s something I’d like you to see. We can talk too and maybe…” Garrett trailed off helplessly.

Revena stood, wiping her cheeks. “Okay.”

Together the two thieves stepped into the night.


	14. Chapter 14

Garrett led Revena across the plaza to the Clock Tower. He held her hand as they scaled the scaffolding, not out of support, but simply because he could. She paused at the small maintenance door.

“Isn’t this place haunted?” Revena asked with some trepidation.

“Only by me. Come.” Garrett led her inside, and let her gape at the clockwork mechanisms for a few moments before leading her around to his living area and motioned to a plush chair, taking for himself a seat on the bed where he removed his shoes. “At the field, you told me there was a darkness in you that threatened to consume you every day. I’ve wanted to ask for a while what did you mean by that, exactly?”

Revena considered for some time before answering, removing her own shoes as she did so. “Imagine that you are in a valley, with incredibly steep hills all around. There is no level ground at all. And the place where these hills converge at the bottom, instead of being land is a hole, dark, forbidding, and bottomless. The hills are endlessly tall. All you can do is climb or hang on to the sides. But you can’t let go, even for a second because if you do you’ll fall. Maybe you’ll catch yourself further down the hill, maybe you’ll fall into that hole. And anything can knock you off - other people, harsh words, yourself, a stiff wind. Sometimes you get really tired of hanging on. Sometimes you don’t see the point in doing so any more. I mean, that hill goes forever. Why bother fighting? It would be so much easier to just fall forever. Especially when you can see other people just walking up their hills like it’s no big deal. Especially when you see other people helping each other up, going up hand in hand, and you’re alone, and know that you always will be. That other people only offer to help you in order to fling you off your hill and laugh as you fall, spiraling into that darkness.”

“I’m not here to laugh at you, or hurt you, Revena.”

“So you say. But how can I believe that, when I’ve had my whole life proving otherwise?”

Garrett shook his head. “I don’t know. I’d say to trust me, but…” he trailed off and breathed deeply before unveiling a full length mirror. “This is what I wanted to show you.”

“A mirror?”

“You.”

“I don’t understand. And I hate mirrors.”

“Heh. Something we have in common, then. But try it for me. Stand here and look at yourself. Really look and tell me what you see.”

Revena moved to stand in front of the mirror and stared for several moments, Garrett standing behind her watching her face in the mirror, before he noticed a tear fall down her cheek. “What do you see that makes you so sad?” he asked quietly.

“Everything.”

Garrett considered, then shook his head. “Now I’m the one who doesn’t understand.”

“I am so short most children would consider me a playmate. My hair is has no life in it without at least an hour of preparation from a master like Tay. It has no color at all. My eyes are dull bland grey. My skin looks like I just crawled out of a morgue. My cheekbones are too sharp, my chin is too pointed. My mouth is permanently downturned. I have no breasts to speak of and my hips are too wide. My back is covered in scars. Thadeus has left no part of me untainted by his touch.” Revena took a ragged breath and then spoke the thought that was at the basis for everything that drove her. “I hate me.”

Garrett wrapped his arms around her frame. “I don’t,” he said quietly. “Can I tell you what I see?” He waited for Revena to nod her assent. “I see a woman who is perfectly suited to me. I’m not exactly a tall man myself - it’s hard to find a woman who doesn’t literally look down on me. Your hair is the color of moonlight filtering down into the City. Your eyes are mist grey and every time I look into them I’m lost to you. Your skin is a creamy alabaster. They write about skin like yours in romance novels. Most women would kill to get what you have naturally. Your face is heart shaped, with a delicate bone structure. It’s beautiful. You have a pouty mouth with full lips that beg to be kissed. Yes they are downturned most of the time, but that just means that when I manage to get a smile or laugh out of you it lights up the whole room. I haven’t managed to get a good look at your breasts,” Garrett smiled with a wink, “but what I’ve seen has been plenty for me. As for your hips; I can’t look at them too long, or Basso will hit me and my pants will stop fitting. Your back has scars. So what? I have them too, earned very similarly.”

Revena looked startled. Garrett worked to shed the shirt of his costume and turned so she could examine his back. Her fingers were feather light as if she were afraid to touch him, giving him goose bumps instead as she traced his various scars especially as she reached his lower back.

“I didn’t know…”

Garrett didn’t turn around. “You never let me tell you. As for your brother’s touch,” he paused, unsure how to phrase his suggestion and ultimately deciding that the direct approach was best, “you could wash it away, physically and metaphorically. With me. If you wanted, I mean.” He could feel himself blushing and mentally cursed.

“Oh. I…um...” Revena stuttered. Garrett turned to find Revena with her back to him, looking intently at the clockworks once again. “Everything in my head is telling me this is a bad idea. To run and never look back. But the truth is…I was lost to you a long time ago.”

“Lost?”

“My heart, Garrett. You’re the best thief in the City, and you’ve gone and stolen my heart, even when I was guarded against you. But now it’s yours to do with as you will. I’m yours Garrett, and no one else’s. Not ever.”

Garrett was stunned. “That’s an awfully big promise. And I’m not sure that I’m ready for that.”

“You don’t have to be,” Revena replied softly. “I just thought you should know.”

“You’re eighteen, Revena. There’s a lot of life ahead of you.”

“Nineteen. And I mean it. I don’t see how my age is a factor.”

“Nineteen?”

“Yes.”

“But I thought-?”

Revena shrugged. “It happens every year. Everyone celebrates, but never for me. No big deal.”

“Today is your birthday?”

Revena nodded.

Garrett walked to his collection and began to sort through it, finally selecting a piece. He wrapped the silver chain around her neck, letting the pendant dangle just above her breasts as he worked the clasp. Garrett pulled her to the mirror so she could see. The pendant was made in the shape of a keyhole, filled with onyx, and surrounded by a thin border of mother-of-pearl. To either side, crossing behind the keyhole was a key etched in silver from which the chain hung. Garrett didn’t know why, be he’d always liked it.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Happy birthday.”

She spun, startled, and ended up chest to chest in his arms. “Oh!” Revena pulled away and glanced over him, blushing furiously. “Oh!” she repeated.

Garrett chuckled. “Like something else you see?”

Revena could only swallow noisily as she nodded.

“How about that bath?” The male thief asked huskily, and Revena agreed again her eyes still travelling the length of his chest. Garrett took her hand and the two went down a level where the little thief had hacked into the piping system and set up a bathtub. Slowly the tub filled with hot water. Revena couldn’t keep her eyes off the man in front of her.

“Heh. Sweetheart, you’re staring.”

The lady blackhand blushed, but for once didn’t look away. “I can’t help it. I’m afraid that if I look away you’ll disappear. Or I’ll wake up.”

Garrett stepped closer. “Dream of me often, do you?”

“Most nights,” she admitted. “But nothing compares to this.”

“This?”

Revena hesitantly reached a hand out, tracing his collarbone with a single finger before sliding it downward. A small thin patch of dark hair in the center of his chiseled chest asserted his maleness without being overwhelming. Revena let her fingers glide over the outlines of his pectorals and down his abdomen, hesitantly tracing the outside of his navel. Garrett growled possessively and captured her hands with his own.

“As much as I hate to interrupt you; the bath is almost full, my sweet.” He reached over to turn the water off. “Unless you plan on bathing dressed, I suggest we fix that.”

Before she could protest Garrett pulled her close, crushed his lips into hers, and finally gave into his desire to let his hands wander freely.   He pulled at the closures of golden corset as Revena curled her arms over his shoulders and twined her fingers into his hair, clearly lost in his touch. Garrett finally discovered the trick and Revena gasped as the corset came free. He took the opportunity to spin her, gaining access to the buttons on the back of her shirt as his mouth moved to her ear, tracing the curl with his tongue and sucking gently at her lobe. Revena’s hands had dropped when he turned her, and now they hung helpless at her sides as she whimpered under her breath, voice thick with desire. Quick fingers had the blue shirt undone in moments and Garrett shed it from the woman’s small form. He moved his lips around to the nape of her neck, his hands gliding over her sides but not yet daring to explore her unseen breasts. Her back was indeed badly scarred – far worse than his, and he made a point of tasting several of the scars that were within easy reach.

Revena took a deep breath but didn’t turn. “We should get in before the water gets cold.” Garrett stood, fixed to the spot, as she knelt to slide her blue leggings and underwear to the floor revealing dangerously curved hips and ass also scarred from the General’s abuse.

“ _Gods,_ ” Garrett whispered hoarsely. “Get in the damn tub, Revena. I need you. Badly.” As she did so, Garrett shed his own pants and climbed in behind her, his erection brushing against her back as he straddled her and continued to kiss and caress her from behind. The warm water sloshed around them and Revena moaned quietly in pleasure.

Garrett allowed his hands to skim around to her front and gently cupped her breasts, discovering they were pleasantly heavy and each was slightly larger than his hand. He squeezed lightly as his clever fingers found the nubs of her nipples and pinched them into hardness causing Revena’s head to roll back into the cradle of his neck as she whimpered and gripped his muscular thighs, nails raking his skin.   The blackhand stole a kiss from the lady, caressing her lips with his tongue before plunging in fully and plundering her mouth. Revena wasn’t passive but most definitely allowed him control, opening herself to him and his ministrations completely. Garrett was pleased to find that she tasted sweet, almost like an unidentified flower. His hands wandered lower, flitting across her smooth stomach and over her legs, trailing slowly up her inner thighs to the apex between her legs. Revena’s breath caught in her throat, fingers tightening on Garrett’s legs once more.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, not wishing to break the mood, but needing to know that it was acceptable to proceed.

“I-“ Revena started, but then stopped, pulling away slightly. “You said you’d wash him away. I think I need that. Before we go further, I mean.” She sent water over the edge of the tub as she rearranged herself, turning in his arms and straddling him.

Garrett said nothing, simply getting out a wash cloth, soaking it and lathering in soap before applying it to Revena’s chest. Revena leaned forward and locked her lips to his once more, working the leather thong in his hair free. Dark hair spilled to just between his shoulder blades as tongues entwined. Garrett worked the cloth lower, once again reaching the apex of her thighs. This time, however, Revena didn’t stop him, and the cloth rubbed her lightly, eliciting a light moan from the woman. Garrett dared a deeper cleansing and Revena wiggled on his lap, her eyes half lidded in pleasure. Keeping one hand rubbing with the cloth, he dropped the other down over her back and across her ass cheeks before reaching under her and daring for the first time to touch her most intimate softness directly. She was wet, deliciously so, and her folds already parted slightly due to her position and the wash cloth, giving him easy access to her slit. Garrett played the edges of that wetness with his fingers, stroking her lightly. Revena whimpered into his mouth as her hands raked into his hair, clinging for life. Garrett abandonded the cloth, letting it sink into the tub as he sought out her clit, knowing he’d found it as she jumped slightly in his lap and her whimper became a groan. Teasing that nub as he had earlier done her nipples, Garrett slowly slid a finger inside of Revena, who gasped. Her hips rolled forward to meet him as he stroked her both on her sensitive nub and inside. He slid a second finger into her and increased his pace slightly, earning another groan from Revena, her mouth separating from his now to breathe more easily as she kissed down into the crook of his neck. Her walls clenched around him, and Garrett knew that despite her quiet, she was close. He slid a third finger into the woman on his lap and sped up once again, continuing his ministrations with his other hand on her clit. Revena’s hips began to buck into his hands and he could feel her stomach fluttering as her walls continued to tighten around him, water sloshing violently around them.

“Oh! Garrett!” Revena whispered desperately before her teeth found purchase in the meat of his shoulder. Garrett felt a rush of heat and wetness that had nothing to do with the bathwater as Revena came into his hands. He continued to pump into her until her walls began to release his fingers where he finally slowed his pace and eventually removed himself from her.

“Better?” Garrett asked with a smile.

“Mmm.” She sighed softly, burying her head into his chest. “Sorry about your shoulder.”

“Don’t be. I’m not. I intend to have many more of those before I’m done with you tonight, my sweet.”

“Oh…?” Revena sounded somewhere between alarmed and intrigued.

“Indeed. Is there anywhere else that needs washed? Because if not…” Garrett motioned to himself and his rather obvious need.

Revena nodded. “Like I said before. There isn’t a place on me that Thadeus hasn’t tainted. Not one. But I guess we don’t need to do everything at once?”

“Not…one. You mean he took you-“

“Everywhere possible. But I’d really rather be with you, Garrett. And that looks uncomfortable, and wonderful.” She added with a smile.

Garrett grinned and pulled her closer onto his lap. Now Revena skimmed her hands over his chest and down to his manhood. He was larger than Thadeus, Revena noted, both in length and width, but not enough to be out of proportion with the rest of his body – it was simply that Thadeus was in fact quite small. Revena giggled to herself at the thought. She stroked him once lightly, causing Garrett to buck hard up against her.

“Augh! Revena, don’t tease me. Please.” Garrett begged hoarsely.

“I wasn’t- I didn’t mean to. I only know what _he_ liked. Show me?” Revena replied uncertainly.

“Too light. That was too light. Please…”

Revena adjusted her grip to a more solid one, her hand firmly around Garrett’s member, fingers brushing the vein beneath as her pinky circled his head. She dropped her index finger in between his balls to lightly give them stimulation as she stroked him.

“Oh...Gods…” Garrett breathed into her ear. “Yesss.”

The lady thief kissed her way down, licking Garrett’s pale nipples while her unoccupied hand traced small circles into the small of his back. She slid further into the water, kissing his well cut abdomen before taking a breath and disappearing underneath the waterline. Garrett felt her tongue caress his tip and let out a moan as her tongue swirled around him head to base and back, before replacing her hand again and coming up for air. Filled with desire, Garrett grabbed for her hips and pulled her roughly on top of him, vaguely lining himself up with her.

“Need you…” He panted.

Revena could only nod, adjusting him slightly before settling on an angle and sheathing him into her heat. Both groaned at the sensation, pausing simply to feel one another as well as allowing Revena to expand to Garrett’s girth. A sudden clench from her was all the signal Garrett needed to begin moving within her. His pace was measured but forceful, causing Revena to moan with every thrust, her nails digging into his shoulders, head tilted backwards. Taking advantage of the view, Garrett dipped forward, and sucked a nipple into his mouth and teasing it lightly with his teeth, keeping his rhythm steady with both hands on her hips. She groaned at that and rolled her hips, inviting a faster pace. Garrett obliged, feeling his own pressure building at the base of his spine. The water around them sloshed in time but neither heard it, lost in their own pleasure.

“Garrett…Garrett, please. Please. Oh Gods. Garrett.” Revena whispered to herself with each thrust.

The thief could feel her walls beginning to flutter around him, and he quickened his pace, his need building rapidly with each push. She suddenly gripped him tightly, both inside and out, clinging to him desperately as she came without any further warning. It was enough to send Garrett over the edge and he released himself in hot spurts within her. The two slowed their pace, eventually stopping altogether, and simply sat in each others arms, breathing heavily.

“Damn, sweetheart.” Garrett eventually managed. “That was…”

“Best…bath…ever…” Revena finished with a lazy grin before reaching up to kiss him. “Don’t think I can walk…legs shaking too much.” She added.

“Well then.” Garrett disentagled himself from his lover before exiting the tub and retrieving two towels. One he wrapped around his own waist haphazardly, the other he left to one side as he carefully lifted Revena free of the tub before wrapping her in it and then carrying her up the stairs to his bed and lay her down before curling next to her himself.


	15. Chapter 15

Garrett woke with a pleasant but unfamiliar weight on his left side. He cracked a chocolate brown eye to find Revena snugged into his side, head on his shoulder and one arm draped across his chest, while one leg twined in between his own. Planting a kiss on her forehead, Garrett set about disentangling himself and getting feeling back into his fingers without waking the younger woman. Successful, he pulled on a pair of pants and found some arrow bolts that needed fletching.

_Now what?_ He wondered to himself as he worked. _What she said before about being mine...that’s scary. I don’t know that I’m ready for that. Don’t know if I ever will be. But I’m afraid she’d see that as rejection. I don’t want to hurt her – she’s been hurt enough as it is. And she’s given herself to me, heart and soul. That’s quite the gift. Not something you throw away lightly. That description she gave me…what a bleak world view. No wonder she tried to kill herself if that’s how you see everything._

Movement interrupted his thoughts as the figure on the bed stretched and yawned luxuriously, capturing Garrett’s undivided attention.

“Welcome back, my sweet,” He smiled.

“I- Uh!” Revena snapped her head around, taking in her surroundings. “It wasn’t a dream?”

“Not at all.” Garrett moved back to the bed and planted another kiss on her forehead. “Disappointed?”

“N-no! Of course not! I just… I’ve dreamed this so often, it’s hard to believe that it’s real,” she explained.

“Dreamed it often. Hmmm. How often, I wonder? And what else do you dream about?” His voice dropped, becoming huskier.

Revena blushed furiously, and Garrett was charmed to see that the flush ran down into her breasts. “Very often. And I have…lots…of dreams.” She said softly, voice full of embarrassment.

“Really? Do tell. I’ve had a few of my own. Maybe some of them are the same and we can make them reality?”

Revena somehow managed an even deeper shade of red, but she was made bold by his words and spoke anyway. “Your hands, Garrett. They’re so pretty. I love watching you work. I love watching you pick a lock, or search for a switch. Just the idea of your hands on me. Finding my…switches…Gods breath.”   Garrett smirked but said nothing, allowing her to continue. “Having you climb into my window some night and just take me for everything I’m worth, in every way possible. Having you in some tight corner while guards pass by inches away and never know what’s happening.”

“So you’re an exhibitionist then?”

“No, but the idea of the danger and you taking me like that is great fantasy fodder…I don’t think the reality would live up somehow.”

“Good. We can’t let this get in the way of our jobs. Eyes on the prize and all that.”

“Get in the way? So, you’re saying…?”

“This was no one night stand. I’d never hurt you like that. You’re mine now. _Mine._ ”

Revena sucked in a breath and a smile flickered across her face. “Really? You mean it?”

Rather than responding in words, Garrett simply lay down the bolt he was working on and wrapped his arms around the woman, drawing her in for a domineering and thorough kiss. She melted into his arms, instantly molding herself to his body.

“Oh my love,” Revena whispered reverently. “Yours. All yours.”

Garrett smiled into her mouth and feathered kisses across her cheek and jaw. “Damn right. And I don’t share terribly well, so Tay’s just out of luck.”

“He never had a chance, Garrett. Not against you.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“What about you? You said you dreamed?”

“Yeah.” Garrett took a breath. “Fantasized, more accurately. About different things. Chasing you across the thieves’ highway again, but this time I catch you and make love to you on the rooftops,” He could feel himself growing hard at the thought. “Or taking you in the bath, which we’ve done. But I have to admit my favorite is about having you completely at my mercy. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, just you, all tied up and utterly exposed to me. To touch, to taste, to have as gently or hard as I want. To have you scream my name to the sky.”

“You want to tie me up?” Revena’s voice was small.

“Very badly. But I’d never do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“It’s just…Thadeus would tie me up to the bedposts when he’d whip me. He liked to hear me scream too.”

“I mean a different kind of scream, my sweet,” Garrett said, nuzzling Revena’s ear. “But if it ranges too close to _him_ then so be it. Maybe someday we’ll get him out of your head completely. Until then, we’ll take it a day at a time.”

“That- that sounds good.” Revena’s eyes grew wide as she suddenly pulled away from Garrett. “Oh sweet Master Builder! What do we tell Basso? He’s gonna know!”

Garrett chuckled. “He already knows, and he’s okay with it. Actually, we should head over and see what he’s got for us.”

“He knows? So we can take the day off?” Revena wriggled her hips against his seductively.

“Oof. Not fair.” Garrett whined. “It would be better if we didn’t. Besides, you only have your costume from last night here.”

“Ugh. It is the only thing I have isn’t it?” This seemed to motivate her more than any other reasoning as she clambered downstairs to gather her clothing. “No way am I getting stuck wearing that thing any longer than I have to. Let’s get going.”

Several minutes later, the two thieves crossed the plaza and entered Basso’s office, one looking rather smug, the other utterly embarrassed.

“It’s about damn time you two showed up!” Basso chastised them in greeting. “Curiosity has been gnawing at me all day. Are we all good here Sis, or…?”

“Yeah, we’re okay.” Revena replied as she made for her room. “I’m still not thrilled about being left in the dark, but I get why you did it. Now, I really do want to get out of these clothes and into something more comfortable.”

She disappeared and the fence raised an eyebrow at his friend. “You look inordinately pleased with yourself, Garrett. Can I assume that your tension with my sweet almost-sister has been successfully resolved?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” the thief grinned. “She and I talked. And then we-“

“LALALA!” Basso cut him off loudly, clamping his hands over his ears. “Just this once I don’t want details! I’m glad you two have worked it out. That’s good enough for me.”

“Right so…”

“Yeah yeah, a job. Let’s see.” Basso flipped through his book looking for likely candidates. “I don’t have much, actually; two choices. One, I need someone to get me a piece of art. Supposedly it belonged to the Widow Moira. The other is just a possible client.”

“Huh. Give Revena the client. She could use the boost and experience. I’ll take the art job.”

Basso made a few marks in his book. “Done.”

Revena chose that moment to return, dressed in her usual thieving blacks. “What’s done?”

“I have a job, and you have a client to meet,” Garrett answered unabashedly eyeing her.

“By myself?” Revena’s eyes were wide.

Basso laughed. “Yes. We told you that you were ready. And it may not come to anything. You have prerogative to take the job he offers or not. You can find Mr. Trent just off of Traitorsgate.”

“Oh. Okay.” The lady thief began to head for the door.

“Hey!” Garrett protested.

“Hmm?”

In two long strides Garrett caught up to her and kissed her soundly, leaving her breathless. “Now you can leave,” he said with a smirk.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter.

Revena knocked lightly on the apartment door before letting herself in. _Invite a thief to your home, expect a few things to go missing_ , she thought to herself, picking up a pile of change left by the door. To the left was the kitchen, but it was clearly empty. She heard someone clear their throat ahead of her and followed the sound to a living room. A man was sitting in a chair, reading the latest newspaper. He was average looking, and his dress was appropriate to his living conditions; all-in-all nothing special.

“Mr. Trent?”

The man looked up, startled. “Oh my! Ahem. Yes, I am. Who are you? Wait, Basso sent you, yes?” His eyes shifted from side to side nervously.

Revena nodded, ready to run.

“Oh thank heavens. I have a problem you see. I’ve lost my watch.”

The lady thief bit the inside of her cheek to keep from rolling her eyes. “So take out an ad.”

“You don't understand. I didn’t lose it. Well, not like that. I _lost_ it. In a bet. And it’s a family heirloom. It’s worthless to anyone but me. But well, I can’t get it back myself. He’d know! But if he were to be the victim of a robbery, and the watch happened to be one of the items stolen...” the man trailed off helplessly.

“I get the idea. Who’d you lose it to? And how much are we talking for this job?”

“Poul Edison,” Trent sighed. “A good friend. I hate doing this to him, but I simply must have that watch back! I’ll pay you anything you like!”

“Done.”

“Oh thank you! You’ve no idea how much this means to me! Poul lives in the poor part of Dayport.”

“I can find him. I’ll be back in a few days.”

* * *

 

Even the “poor” part of Dayport was large townhouses and Revena wanted a look at what she was up against. The night was young so she crossed the bridge, weaving through the streets until she reached a likely neighborhood. Dodging patrols of City Watch, Revena flitted from house to house, looking for clues of who might be the occupants. Most were easy, the owners proudly displaying their names and family crests within sight of the street. She found herself wishing Garrett were with her as a great many of the people she passed had fat purses. Revena herself was almost able to pickpocket a drunken sailor without him noticing. Almost.

She finally found her quarry, a modest sized home surrounded by a low wall. With a quick glance to either side, Revena hopped the boundary, crouching on the other side so as not to be seen. She paced the entire wall, keeping eyes open for doors, windows, guards, and dogs. A balcony on the east side looked to be the best entry point. There was a dog at the front and back door each, but no other protection that Revena could see outside. There were several figures moving inside, however, and Revena didn’t want to risk getting caught without all the proper equipment, so she headed home.

“I’m back! And I took the job,” Revena smiled.

“Oh? Good for you! Just be careful, eh?”

“No problem. I’m headed to bed. G’night.”

Garrett was waiting in her room. “Welcome back. How did it go?” he asked.

“Hello to you too. It was fine. He wanted me to get back a family heirloom he lost in a gamble to a friend. Wish you’d been there.”

“Oh? Missed me, did you?” Garrett purred and crooked a finger at her.

“Mmm.” Revena obeyed, slowly advancing. “There were a lot of pockets that needed picking over there tonight. Must have been payday or something.” She stopped half a foot short of his knees.

“Is that the only reason?” he asked huskily.

Revena’s eyes went wide in innocence, “I think so. Should there be another reason?” Garrett snarled, grabbing at Revena’s hands and pulling her in for a kiss, while she laughed into his mouth. “Oh right. That. I knew I was forgetting something.”

“Shaddup and kiss me, wench.” Garrett reached over and snuffed out the nearby candle, plunging the room in darkness.


	17. Chapter 17

Revena shifted from shadow to shadow as silently as she could, creeping behind a mercenary to reach the next doorway before slipping into the master bedroom where a woman was sleeping soundly. She’d been inside Poul Edison’s house most of two hours and had picked up several valuables, but had yet to find the watch in question. Revena rifled through the closet with no lock before carefully moving to the nightstand which revealed a pure silver hand mirror but no watch. She closed her eyes in frustration, this being the last room of her search. It simply wasn’t here; Edison was probably wearing the watch to work. It was time to make her escape and report her failure to Trent.

Revena made a pit-stop at Basso’s office to drop off her loot bag. “Here’s everything I took, Basso. I couldn’t find the watch. I don’t think it was there. What do I do?”

“Nothing you can do, sis,” the fence replied with a shrug. “Sometimes things just go south. We can try again if he wants. Just let him know.”

“Okay.”

Revena continued on to Traitorsgate and Trent’s apartment. Trent was in the bathroom. When he emerged he didn’t seem surprised to see her.

“Is it done? Do you have my watch?” He asked eagerly.

“No, I’m sorry to say. I went, but it wasn’t there and we’ve lost the opportunity. I suspect he’s carrying it to work with him. Obviously no pay is required since I didn’t get you your item, but I can try again if you’d like.”

“What do you mean you don’t have it? I have to have that watch back! Surely the plan will still work?” Trent asked plaintively

“I doubt it,” Revena shook her head. “I was expecting to find the watch so I cleared him out as I went. It would look suspicious if I went back just to take the watch.”

“I suppose it would.” Trent’s voice took an odd tone. “Of course, you just admitted to stealing from Poul Edison, yes?”

“Well, I am a thief. It’s what I do, and what you hired me for.”

“Yes well. I had good reason. You on the other hand…” Something in his voice made Revena pay closer attention to him, but it was too late as two members of the City Watch appeared from other rooms and leveled swords at her.

“Where are my things?” One of them growled at her. “If you hurt my wife…”

Revena froze, unwilling to risk a confrontation when she knew she would lose. “I’d never do such a thing. She’s sleeping just like I found her. Your things, on the other hand, are long gone.” She edged towards a window.

“Dammit. Well, don’t even think about escaping. We’re taking you in. Thanks for working with us Mr. Trent.” The watchman who was obvious Edison prodded her with his sword, and Revena had no choice but to lead the way to the nearest watch station.

“Name?” The bored clerk asked. Revena remained stubbornly silent. The clerk huffed. “Anon. Crime: Theft. Evidence: Admitted within hearing of an officer to being a thief and to stealing from an officer of the Watch. Punishment: To Be Determined.”

A loud laugh from the hallway made Revena’s blood freeze in place. “I’ll see you made Captain for this, Edison! Well done! Now, let’s see what we have,” came the familiar voice. Revena closed her eyes in fear as the door opened and revealed the Thief-Taker General, smiling. As his grey eyes fell on the woman before him, the smile dropped as recognition slowly dawned. “You. You?!”

Thadeus grabbed her upper arm harshly, pulling Revena out of her chair. More loudly he told the clerk that he wanted a paddy wagon immediately brought around as Thadeus dragged his sister outside and tossed her inside the waiting carriage before climbing aboard himself. The carriage wound through the streets of the City to the Watch headquarters. Another rough transition along with the order to not be disturbed brought Revena to an unoccupied room. As Thadeus sent home a lock, Revena realized she was in her worst nightmare.

“How dare you defy me? I told you. I warned you against the criminal element in this city. But you just couldn’t resist could you? I always knew you were rotten! Thank the Gods Mother isn’t here to see this.”

Revena shuddered at the hatred in her siblings voice but remained silent, eyes lowered to the floor demurely.

“Oh no. That isn’t going to work anymore, bitch! I was gentle before. I mean to **break** you, now.” With that he grabbed her harshly, snatching the cowl from her head. “Strip, you little whore. And be quick about it.”

As Revena removed her clothing she looked around for the first time, and realized she was in one of the infamous ‘interrogation’ rooms. She shuddered at the chill, standing naked before her brother except for her necklace, who looked her over with a practiced eye.

“Thieving suits you. You look better than you ever did when you were with me. Too bad.” He advanced on the woman before him and motioned to the pillory. “Get in.”

Revena meekly stepped up to the T-shaped wooden frame and raised her arms and set her head to the cross bar which Thadeus secured. Her brother stepped in front of her and showed her what was next – an iron bar with a cuff at each end. Thadeus set it at her feet, forcing her legs apart. Next he prepared a razor and with great precision shaved her entire body completely bald including eyebrows and pubic hair. Nor was he gentle about the process. By the end Revena was bleeding from several cuts. Through the whole thing neither said a word.

When he was finished, Thadeus stood and moved behind her. Revena could hear him flexing something leather and anticipated the sting of a whip, but nothing prepared her for the agony that fell onto her shoulders. Rather than the usual thick band, a thousand tiny knives cut into her back all at once. She could feel rivulets of blood trace their way across her ribs and down her spine. She screamed.

“Do you like it?” Thadeus asked. “It’s my new toy. A cat-of-nine-tails, but each has a fishing hook attached to the end. It must feel something like being flayed alive. I wonder how long you’ll stay conscious.” Another slap and now Revena could identify each tail and feel each hook as it pulled through her skin before tearing free even as she screamed again.

“Who is your fence, Revena? Where do you take your stolen things? Do you have friends? A lover? Is he a thief too? Give me names!” Each question was punctuated with another swing of the whip.

With a sob, Revena shook her head as best she could, knowing that if her mouth opened, she would in fact break as easily as Thadeus claimed.

“Perhaps you need another kind of whip…” his voice was nearly a whisper. With no further warning Thadeus forced himself inside of her heat, pulling another sobbing scream from her throat. His thrusts were rough and deep, each lifting her on her toes. She struggled against him, but the between the pillory and the bar there was no escape. Thadeus laughed and brought a hand around to her sex, finding her clit easily, the other harshly grinding a breast.

“You _are_ going to like this, Revena. I’m going to make you learn to like pain.”

He manipulated her clit expertly and Revena cursed silently as her body betrayed her, a tingle beginning in her toes. There was too much pain to ignore or distract herself. Thadeus’ pace was relentless and soon he was on the cusp. At the last moment he pulled out of her, his cum jetting onto the lacerations on Revena’s back while he was replaced with something cold and metal. She moaned in pain, head wilting onto the crossbar, barely able to stay conscious between blood loss and pain.

“Now now, none of that. There’s so much left to do.”

A nearby bucket full of vinegar was splashed over her, bringing tears to her eyes and ragged scream from her already raw throat. Thadeus fucked her with the metal _thing_ even as he continued to finger her clit. Revena’s eyes closed and she prayed to any and all Gods to just let it be over as the orgasm continued to build within her. Despite her best efforts, her breathing began to get heavy and she actually started to try and buck her hips against Thadeus and his toy.

“So eager to play the slut,” Thadeus laughed. “Not yet I think. Try this instead.” He removed his fingers from her clit and she heard a soft click. Somehow the metal thing expanded inside of her, stretching her uncomfortably. When the General moved the metal thing again it scraped at her walls and she cried out.

“Can you guess what it is? No? It’s a pear. And I mean to open it all the way. Of course I could stop now. Finish you off like a gentleman. But I’d need something in return for that. Like a name.”

Revena swallowed, mustering her courage. “To the abyss with you!” she spat. She couldn’t see her bother’s face, but she imagined it must be scowling.

Without further response there was another click and the pear was opened to its maximum width. Revena’s sight turned black with pain and she passed out.

* * *

 

When she woke she found herself lying down and for a moment dared to believe it was a horrible dream. Then she tried to open her eyes and move her limbs, finding neither to be possible. Worse, the pear was still in place and another had been inserted into her ass, also on its maximum opening. Whatever surface she was lying on was uncomfortable against the wounds on her back.

“Back with me? Good. I want names, Revena. And I’m going to get them. You’re on the rack. If I dislocate everything you won’t be able to work for at least a month. If I rip your joints completely apart, you’ll never work again. What’s your choice?” In demonstration, Thadeus turned the wheel slightly, putting tension on her shoulders and hips.

“Fuck you.”

“Oh, that’s going to happen regardless. I might even keep you as a reward to my men for a job well done. How would you like that, eh? The personal Blossom of the City Watch. Not much you can do about it if you can’t even crawl to get away, eh?”

“I’d rather die.”

“Yes, I did notice those lovely scars of yours. Still, you always did have a low pain threshold.” He spun the wheel and Revena shrieked as her shoulders unhinged with a sickening pop.

“Oh Gods! Stop! Stop, please!” Tears streamed down her face in shame.

“Hmm? Something to say?”

“Garrett. Basso and Garrett.”

“And who are these people to me?” When the thief shook her head, Thadeus spun the wheel a little more, and she could feel her hips giving way.

“Basso is my fence,” Revena sobbed. “Garrett is a thief. The best.”

“And where can I find them?”

_No! Courtier lesson one; mix truth and lies so none can separate them. You gave him a truth, now feed him a lie._ “I don’t know.”

“Don’t lie, girl!” Thadeus shifted the wheel a little more in warning.

“I’m not! Basso uses drop points. Garrett is secretive.  Please, please let me go!”

In reply, Thadeus merely returned to his earlier ministrations, climbing on top of her to nip at her nipples as his hands spread her nether lips to play with her clit again. The earlier almost-orgasm came rushing back and Revena involuntarily bucked into his hands. A few moments later and she found her release, wetness seeping from around the pear.

“There now. Was that so bad? Didn’t a little pain make the pleasure that much better?”

“As you say, Thadeus. Will you let me go now?”

“But we still have so much to discuss…” Thadeus replied with a wicked gleam in his eye.


	18. Chapter 18

Dawn came and went, and dusk returned. Garrett slipped silently into the fence’s office.

“Hey Basso,” the thief said in greeting. “Is Revena up yet? I have a surprise for her.”

Basso’s eyes grew wide. “You mean she wasn’t with you last night?”

“What? No! Shit. She was on that job for Trent. Can you check with your contacts to see if she ran into trouble? I’ll head over to the mark’s place and see if I can find any trace of her.”

The two went their separate ways. At Trent’s house Garrett found no trace of Revena or anything that might implicate that she had ever been there. Garrett repeated the process at Edison’s townhouse, but other than looking scarce on décor, he once again found no clues. Frustrated, he returned to the Burrick, hoping that Basso had more luck. The look on Basso’s face quickly assured him that his friend had found success, and that the news wasn’t good.

“What is it, Basso? What happened?”

“It…” Basso hung his head. “The job. It was a set up. Trent’s wife is the primary reporter for the newpaper. They were working with the Watch. I was supposed to send you, I guess. Maybe I should have. You might have gotten away. She- Revena wasn’t so lucky.”

Garrett’s voice dropped to a hiss. “What are you saying?”

Basso sighed. “The Watch has her, but it gets worse. The General was involved in the sting. Harlan has her, Garrett. Personally.”

Garrett could only stare in horror at his friend. “Oh shit,” he finally managed.

“Yeah.”

“No. Basso you don’t understand. Her brother…” Garrett ran a hand over his face in worry. “He used her Basso. Has since she was twelve.”

“Used…her…?” Basso’s brain refused to process the information. “I don’t-“

“Rape, Basso. Incest. And you’re telling me that she’s locked down with him having all the power. And nothing I can do about it. Builder’s Hanging Hammer!”

“Fuck,” Basso agreed.

* * *

 

Three days later a paddy wagon rolled through the square, barely slowing as the back doors opened and deposited a small figure along the side of the road who moaned weakly as she rolled to a stop. Revena struggled to a standing position and darted to the nearest shadow, using her hands to cover her nakedness before collapsing again. From the relative safety of the darkness, Revena took in her surroundings. Revena saw the clocktower and the sign for the Crippled Burrick but found she could make no move for safety. Darkness edged her sight and the world spun into nothingness.

It wasn’t until several hours later as Garrett made his way home, that he spotted the small naked figured tucked into the shadows. Curious about the anomaly and desperately hoping that it was the missing blackhand Garrett hurried down to the figure. At first Garrett didn’t recognize the lady thief with her missing hair and her back shredded like so much raw meat, but upon rolling her over there was no doubt. _God’s Breath, what did he do to you?_ Garrett thought to himself as he lifted her. Revena’s arms fell at unnatural angles. With practiced movements Garrett ascended the tower and arranged her as comfortably as he could in his bed. Surrounded by his familiar scent, Revena sighed and seemed to fall into a deeper sleep. _Basso needs to know…_ Daring to leave her alone, Garrett made his way to Basso’s upstairs apartment of the Burrick and burst in.

“Basso! I-“

“SHIT! Garrett, how many times have I told you to _use the fucking door?!_ Go home! Beat it!” Basso was entwined with a winsome red-head who was clinging to a bed sheet, eyes wide.

“-found Revena. Thought you’d want to know. Sorry for the interruption.” Garrett finished wryly. Suddenly he had Basso’s fully attention.

“Wait. What do you mean you found her? Is she okay? Is she…alive?” The red-head was momentarily forgotten.

“She’s alive, but badly hurt and unconscious. I don’t know just how bad it is yet. I should get back. As soon as I know anything I’ll tell you.”

“Make sure you do.”

“Sorry for the interruption. Have fun.” As Garrett disappeared out the window he heard a girlish shriek and couldn’t help but chuckle. Returning, Garrett quickly lost his humor as Revena hadn’t so much as moved. Yawning, he carefully stripped down and climbed in next to her, providing what comfort he could with his mere presence.

Hours later Revena woke screaming. She flailed wildly against Garrett’s embrace.

“Shh-shh-shh! Revena, Revena, it’s okay. It’s Garrett. You’re safe. Shhh.”

Slowly Revena ceased her protests. “G-garrett? Is that you? Is this real?”

“It’s me, sweet. It’s real.” He smoothed her head where her hair would have been, wiping the tears from her face. “Tell me what I can do to make it better.”

“Oh Gods. Garrett!” She pulled away from him suddenly and began to sob uncontrollably. “I- he-“

Garrett moved closer. “Shhh. Time enough for that later, Revena. You’re hurt. I need to know how badly.”

“No! Now. You need to know now. I-“ Revena’s voice grew very soft. “I broke, Garrett. He broke me. Completely. I…I told him everything. About Basso. About you. I was able to keep back the clocktower, but that’s it.” She hung her head. “I’m not yours anymore. I’m his. He let me go so I could tell you. I have to go back.”

“Like hell you are. We’ll just wash him away again. I’m not letting you go.”

“You can’t. Not from this.” She tried to shrug and gasped in pain.

“And how exactly do you plan on leaving with two dislocated arms and who knows what else?”

“If you won’t take me then I’ll figure something out. I have to go back,” she repeated.

“Never going to happen, Eve. Now let me at least fix your shoulders for you?” Revena assented, yelping in pain as Garrett worked quickly to pop the joints back into their sockets before creating a makeshift sling that supported both of her arms. “You need to rest. We’ll talk more later.”

“But-“

The thief silenced her protest with a kiss. “Later. Rest now.”

‘Later’ turned out to be just over three weeks in the future. Having said her piece Revena went into a nearly catatonic state, eating and sleeping, but steadfastly refusing to speak of her experience or anything. Her eyebrows grew back, as did about a half-inch of hair on her head. Her back scabbed and slowly began the ugly process of scarring. Even so, her rest was fitful and often interrupted by nightmares that she either would or could not elaborate on upon waking. In the intervening time Garrett and Basso both kept a sharp eye on the Watch, but they did not seem eager to act upon whatever information the General had gleaned from his sister.

The day her arm slings came off, so did whatever was holding Revena back. In the darkened gloom of the tower, Revena clung to herself. In whisper and great detail she revealed to the master thief everything that had happened to her, fearing and expecting rejection. Garrett stood. The look on his face was unreadable as his rich brown eyes stared into her mist grey ones. Without saying a word he turned away. Internally, Revena crumbled to dust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My deepest apologies, beloved readers, for taking so long with this update! A bad tonsillectomy combined with good prescriptions meant I was physically incapable of stringing together more than three words at a time and still having them make sense. Hopefully this chapter doesn't follow suit.


	19. Chapter 19

For several long minutes the tower was silent except for the ticking of the gears. Revena watched Garrett’s back for some- any- indication that it was going to be okay. That what she had done would be forgiven.

Garrett nodded to himself as if deciding something, before moving with a purpose to his storage chest. When he returned his face was still indecipherable, and he carried several things; several portable locks, a long length of rope, and a small wooden box with an ornate inlaid lid, closed. He laid them on the table before her like some kind of offering, arranging them carefully before speaking. His voice was measured, wary of betraying any emotion.

“I’m not him. I would never keep you here against your will. If you want to go back to him, to his-“ Garrett cut himself off with a shake of his head. “I won’t stop you. Or you can stay.” He took a breath, making sure his voice stayed level and motioned to the items in front of him. “But if you do, I _will_ free you from him.”

Revena trembled in dread. “I don’t _want_ to go back,” she said quietly. “I _have_ to. He said-“

“FORGET HIM!” Garrett suddenly bellowed, eyes blazing. “What do you want, Revena? What do you need? Tell me!”

Revena shook her head. “I don’t know…” she whispered. “I don’t know anymore. I barely know who I am. I’m lost…”

Garrett moved closer, rubbing her lower lip with his thumb as he tipped her chin up to him. “Then let me guide you home.” He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. Revena’s eyes fluttered closed as she automatically returned the kiss, curving her body to meet his. As he pulled away Revena dropped her head to his shoulder. Her words were so quiet Garrett could barely hear them, though his ear was only two inches away.

“Make me yours.”

After a month of constant worrying with no relief or release, those three words were not the three Garrett had expected to hear from her. It was enough. It was too much.

With a feral growl Garrett pushed Revena into the wall, tearing at her clothing with little regard for buttons or snaps. Her corset laces were undone with a simple blade. He didn’t even bother removing her brassier, but simply pulled the offending material down and out of the way as his mouth sought out her coral nipple, sucking hard as his hand quested for the band of her underwear. He found it at her thigh and shoved it to one side, three clever fingers parting her folds and sliding home with little preamble while his thumb drove heavily into her clit.

“Ahh!” Revena cried out, arching her back.

Garrett wasn’t sure if it was protest or encouragement. He wasn’t sure if he cared. He slid up to her neck and ear, letting his scruff scratch her skin. His tongue traced the curve of her ear before he whispered, “Mine, Revena. You’re mine. Everything about you is mine. Do you understand?” Each statement was punctuated by a thrust from his fingers.

“Ya-yes. Yes!” She reached for him, trying desperately to match his ferocity, or at least her level of nakedness, but Garrett slapped her hands away, and stopped his ministrations only long enough to free himself from his pants before he drew Revena up and plunged deeply into her. Garrett dug his hands into her waist and hips, trying to hold her down even as he continued to thrust upward at a hard and unrelenting pace. Revena threw her head back as she cried out, wrapping her legs around his thin waist to meet his pace and keep her balance. Flesh met flesh and Garrett quickened his pace, his end near. Revena’s walls tightened around him as she cried out, her eyes closed in utter bliss. Garrett groaned in pleasure-pain as he pulled out and spilled his seed on the wall and floor beneath her, breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall of the tower.

“Garrett! What..why?” Revena was looking confused and hurt. “Did I do something wrong?”

The thief moved to wrap his arms around the semi-naked woman. “No. No, of course not. I’m just…not exactly father material, you know?”

“Not with me, you mean. Not with a traitor.”

“Not with anyone.” Garrett sighed, partially in relief and partially in frustration. “Everyone has a breaking point, Revena, and he knows yours too well. Come.” He guided Revena over to the bed, and with a wicked gleam in his eye he motioned for Revena to remain sitting. “On your knees, my sweet.” As she did so, Garrett uncoiled the rope he’d placed on the table. Revena’s eyes widened.

“What are you doing?” Her voice trembled.

“I told you. I’m going to free you. And I’m going to make you mine. And we’re both going to get a great deal of pleasure out of it,” Garrett replied huskily. He began to wrap the rope – made of some soft cloth – around her thighs and calves so that she couldn’t unbend her knees, placing a padlock at each knot he made.

“You’re going to…free me…by tying me up…?”

“That’s the idea. Put your arms above your head with your hands grabbing the opposite elbow.”

As Revena moved to do so, her trust in the thief outweighing her discomfort, she couldn’t help but continue to question. “I don’t understand. How does this help?”

“Well,” Garrett explained as he bound the entire length of her forearms, “you once told me a metaphor about a hill and hole. I figure this can be the same.” Garrett pulled the rope down and crossed it around her breasts, squeezing them, before crossing it behind her once more and tying the whole thing together. He stepped back to admire his handiwork.

“You work to unbind yourself from this mess that is Thadeus Harlan. Every time you get somewhere, I reward you. By the time you’re completely undone you’ll be – hopefully – completely undone.” He smirked.

“Garrett! How am I supposed to get out of this? I can’t even move! I’m trussed up like some oversized bird ready to be eaten!”

“Oosh. Now there’s an idea…” Garrett’s smirk turned into a full blown grin as he once again pulled Revena’s underwear to one side and began fingering her with small lazy circles. Her eyes rolled upwards as she lost herself to the feeling, her breathing heavy. Grinning, Garrett pulled his hand away and sensually licked his fingertips. Revena whimpered.

“Now, now. Get out of one of those locks first and you’ll get a reward.”

Revena began squirming as Garrett scooted back to remove his shirt and hood, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her work. She glanced up, and her breath caught in her throat as her eyes skimmed his trim muscles. Her fingers caught a nearby padlock and she began to fiddle with the combination.

After several minutes, the lock clicked open and Garrett pounced, trailing hot wet kisses up her inner thighs. Revena moaned softly as he approached her sex. He inhaled deeply, and smiled; she smelled like a strong floral perfume. Garrett stuck his pointed tongue out and licked a single stripe upwards, tasting her for the first time – a sweet metallic flavor – and sighed in pleasure. His hot breath ghosted over her, causing her to shudder violently. He set to work more diligently, gently drawing her clit into his mouth and sucking as he flicked his tongue across the top of that sensitive bud over and over again, unrelenting. The thief’s hands were not idle either. One played with her nether-lips, feeling the new wetness growing there. The other busied itself playing with the tiny hairs at the very base of her spine, causing rows of goose bumps to rise all along his captive’s skin and her well exposed nipples to become hard and pert.

A soft groan escaped from Revena, and Garrett glanced upward. His lover’s lips were parted in a quiet pant, cheeks flushed, and eyes half-lidded in pure pleasure. Her hips ground forward, insistent and demanding. In response, Garrett switched his positions, the hand beneath her now stimulating her clit while his tongue plunged directly inside of her again and again. His release earlier allowed him to tease her at his will, but the scent of her arousal was beginning to re-stimulate his own, his growing hardness pressing against the leather in his pants. It wasn’t uncomfortable yet, but it soon would be. Revena bucked against him as she moaned his name, her legs suddenly trying to clamp around his head as she neared completion. With a gentle strength Garrett forced her knees apart and held them there as he teased her over the edge with his mouth alone. He watched as she came, dripping, empty of him or anything, her body desperate to be filled, and smirked.

“That was one lock. Only six more to go,” Garrett commented. Revena looked like she was about to cry as she desperately fumbled for the next lock within reach.

By the time Revena had freed herself completely several hours had gone by and Garrett had indeed completely claimed her with tongue, fingers and cock – there was no part of her body he had not explored. As the last bit of rope was shed Garrett wrapped his arms around Revena, pressing his chest to her back and presented the long forgotten wooden box. With a raised eyebrow, she opened the lid and gasped. Inside was a set of beautifully crafted lock picks, akin to his own masterwork set. Made from a metal that was strong enough that, unless she exacted a ridiculous amount of force on them, would never break, yet thin enough to transmit the smallest details of the interior of a lock to her fingers. They were a work of art.

“There is nothing you can’t get out of, my sweet. You just proved that. And these will help.”

Revena turned into his arms, her breasts brushing lightly against his chest. “Not true. But I never want to escape you.” She kissed him them, and the two thieves stole pleasure from each other once more. Eventually they lay entwined, sleeping peacefully and utterly satiated as dawn broke over the city.


	20. Chapter 20

Undefined nightmares continued to plague Revena’s sleep as winter crept into the city, mitigated only by complete exhaustion and often not even then. Slowly, and despite the two men’s best efforts, the woman withdrew further and further into herself.

Garrett returned from a particularly long night of lifting never expecting the scene that greeted him. The tower was…different. Empty, which was concerning, but it was something beyond that, something else that wasn’t in any way immediately identifiable. He wandered it slowly, careful brown eyes taking everything in and slowly growing wider as realization dawned. He ran for Basso’s apartment at top speed.

“Tell me she’s here!” Garrett yelled as he burst in.

“Wha-? The hell are you talking about, Garrett?”

“Revena. Is she here?” Garrett didn’t wait for an answer, pushing past his friend to the spare room Revena sometimes occupied. It was as empty as the tower. Garrett cursed.

“What is going on?” Basso asked as he caught up to the thief. “Whoa. Where is Revena’s stuff?”

“Gone.” He closed his eyes against the reality. “She’s gone, Basso, and I don’t know where or why.”

* * *

Darkness engulfed her. It stretched in every direction, above and below. Somehow she knew that no matter what direction she travelled, nor for how long, she would never run into anything or anyone. She was completely alone. She walked anyway and her footsteps made no noise. There was no trace of her passage, as if she’d never been there. Perhaps she hadn’t.

_The Balance is shifting._

The hoarse voice was too close to have been heard, but she knew it was there, what it had said. More like it was speaking directly into her head.

“I don’t understand!”

_You don’t need to. He is the one that is needed. You are extraneous._

“Extraneous?”

_Unnecessary. A distraction from what must be done. You do not belong in his story._

“I love him.“

_Immaterial to my purposes, girl. You are nothing. You are Nothing. He is better off without you._

She screamed into the darkness. Alone, no one heard her.

Revena woke alone in the clock tower, and with a sob suddenly understood her nightmares. She knew them to be true. For a long time her mind was blank, simply refusing to process any thought at all. Eventually, however, a single thought penetrated and like a rock descending a mountain continued to roll over and over, gaining momentum and pulling small additional thoughts in its wake; _I don’t belong in his life._

She stood and began cleaning the tower of her presence. Anything that was hers disappeared into a small bag. Bandages were cleaned, folded and put away. Dishes were washed. So were Garrett’s bedsheets, on the off-chance that they smelled like her. She searched every nook and cranny of the clock tower living space. She took the bag and followed Garrett’s path out of the tower, making her way to Basso’s apartment. She entered silently, and applied the same to the room she had occupied there, wiping away all evidence of her existence in the two thieves’ lives. She now had two bags, one full of gear that was easily identifiable as hers regardless of circumstance, the other more generic items that on their own would never be presumed to be hers. She nodded to herself once and left, Basso never knowing she had been there. In Mourningside she distributed the generic items as she could to the beggars within that district, careful to avoid the main chapel and the ‘queen’ within. She dropped the other bag into a bonfire, watching as it burned to nothing, the smoke stinging her eyes.

Tasks complete, Revena made one final trip – this one longer, as she was moving extremely cautiously to avoid not only the Watch, but also any other thieves. As dawn broke over the city she slipped into the familiar room, bathed in the familiar tub, dressed in the familiar (if oversized) clothes, went down the familiar stairs for breakfast.

“Ah, Revena!” greeted a familiar (if hated) voice. “So glad you could finally join me. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”

Revena shook her head in small negation, refusing to meet her host’s eyes. “I’m sorry it took so long. You were right. Like always.” Her host motioned to a chair and she sat down, her body trembling in fear and nearly uncontrollable sorrow.

“What troubles you so, my dear? You’re shaking like a leaf. It’s very distracting.”

Revena’s answer was quiet, but sincere. “I have sinned, so very badly.”

“And what was this sin that you committed?” Her host asked archly.

“I dared.” The tiny woman took a shaky breath. “I dared for one brief moment to believe that I was allowed to be happy. I was a fool. You always say that we must be punished for our sins.”

That grabbed his full attention. “Are you saying you… _want_ to be punished?”

“Make me hurt, Thadeus,” Revena whispered, nodding miserably. “Make my skin hurt as much as my heart. Kill me if you want. I don’t care anymore.”

Thadeus Harlan’s smile was positively wolf-like as he motioned for his sister to follow him up the stairs of their family home. The screams that followed had nothing to do with the pain he was applying to her body.


	21. Chapter 21

Garrett and Basso spent the next several days and even weeks searching the city for any sign of Revena, checking with Basso’s contacts, investigating recent unknown thefts, all to no avail. It was as if she had vanished completely. With no other choices, the two slowly returned to life as normal.

The Watch never exploited the knowledge the General had, in fact they proceeded as if they had no information at all, leading the two to wonder if the General had ever shared his intelligence with anyone or kept it to himself. Of a surety, the General caught many thieves and became something of a hero in the eyes of the people of the City, but never once did he manage to touch Garrett or Basso, though he got close several times. Garrett resumed his ‘relationships’ with the willing women of the pub, but refused to get close to any of them. Basso continued to court his red-haired beauty. Time passed. Hearts healed, if not exactly in the same shape they started.

Over a year later, in the depths of winter, Garrett found himself attending another ball in Auldale. He stealthily made his way from room to room, lifting jewelry, watches, purses, and wallets from the unsuspecting guests. As he entered the next room in the hallway however, he froze. Inside a man and woman were in the middle of an intimate moment. He had a woman on her knees, her face a buried into mattress and he pulling her arms up and behind her, locking her elbows to hold her arms straight. Garrett had the momentary thought _that can’t possibly be comfortable for her_ before realizing who the man was – the Thief-Taker General himself. Harlan groaned as he finished. He pulled away from the woman, wiping himself on her under-dress before buttoning up.

“Get up, you little harlot. We have to get back downstairs.” When the woman beneath him didn’t immediately move he reached forward to grab at her shoulders or head – Garrett wasn’t sure. With a pained moan she was flipped over and sat up. Garrett nearly gasped aloud in recognition of the short pale woman. The dress covered her form head to toe, including her neck. Garrett had no doubt that it needed to be so. Gloves covered her hands. Shoulder-length hair had been pulled into a messy bun. Her grey eyes were dead and emotionless as if she barely saw the world around her. They flicked over the blackhand’s form, but there was no sign of recognition there. He sidestepped into a shadow away from the door and the two Harlan’s exited the room without incident.

As Garrett turned back to the room, his eyes caught a glint on the bed. Curious he moved to inspect whatever had been left behind. This time he did gasp aloud. It was a necklace – the pendant in the shape of a keyhole, and crossing behind was a pair of keys from which the chain hung; the one he’d given to Revena for her nineteenth birthday. As he picked up the necklace by the chain he noticed a tiny piece of paper that had been hidden underneath. Garrett unfolded the paper with a frown. ‘ _I’m so sorry._ ’ was all it said.

“Damn,” he cursed quietly.

He moved through the rest of the house quickly, not wishing to spend any more time than necessary there. Even so, he couldn’t help but pause at a balcony to look down on the dancers below. Knowing who he was looking for, it was easy to spot Harlan in the crowd. Revena stood at his side, passive as a doll, head down eyes refusing to meet anyone’s face. A young man came forward to ask Revena to dance, but Garrett saw that his friends were laughing in a corner. Garrett scowled. Revena glanced to her brother who subtly shook his head no before declining the invitation and the young man beat a hasty retreat, relief evident on his face for all to see. The thief found a small growl forming in his throat and swallowed it.

Knowing he may never get another chance, Garrett stalked one of the male guests that was his approximate size until he went to use the restroom. He courteously waited until the man was finished before blackjacking him and stealing his outer clothes, hiding the body in an adjacent room. It wasn’t a perfect fit – Tay would have had a conniption – but it would do for his purposes. Finding a nearby mirror he carefully removed the kohl from around his eyes. With a smirk he made his way to the dance floor and bowed deeply to the Harlan’s. Thadeus frowned, knowing his face, but not being able to place it in the current setting.

“Forgive the interruption, sir, but I was hoping to ask this beautiful woman for a dance. May I steal her from your side for a brief time?” Garrett didn’t wait for an answer before taking Revena’s hand and whisking her away to the dance floor. As they took their places, he was startled to find that she weighed even less than previously. “Revena?” he asked, almost scared of the answer.

Revena raised her eyes to his face briefly, before looking back down and locking them on his chest. “Yes sir?” Her voice was as dead of emotion as her eyes.

“What are you doing?! Why did you disappear like that? Why haven’t you come home?”

“I don’t know what you mean, sir. I am at home most of the time.”

“That isn’t home, _he_ isn’t home – and you know it. Come back Revena. Please.”

Revena never shifted her eyes as they progressed across the floor. “I’m where I belong.”

“The hell you are.”

“I don’t take your meaning, sir.”

Garrett’s eyes narrowed. “I think you do. And stop acting like you don’t know who I am.”

“The man I think you are,” she answered woodenly, “You couldn’t possibly be. That man would never be foolish enough to show himself in the middle of a ball with Watch all around just for the chance to see a woman. Especially a woman like me. I don’t belong in your life, Garrett. I don’t deserve such happiness. This is what I deserve. This and nothing more.”

“What you deser- Revena you can’t be serious?” Garrett turned them to avoid the corner where Thadeus had been. Revena winced as his hand dug into her waist.

“I tried my best to keep our lives from ever crossing again, but I’ve failed. Again. I’m sorry.”

“Tell me this is some kind of joke. Are you really saying you don’t want to come back with me?”

“I can’t.”

“Of course you can. I ha-“

“No.” Revena stopped moving, “I’m sorry, but no. I deserve this. Please, get out of here before he realizes who you are.”

She drew away from him and began weaving through the dancers towards her brother. Garrett watched as she reached him; Thadeus angrily grabbing for her wrist and mouthing something, Revena wincing but meekly following his lead, Thadeus dragging her to the sidelines. Suddenly Revena whipped her head around to stare directly at him.

“RUN,” she mouthed across the floor. It earned her a slap across the face that sent her to the floor. The thief looked around to find several guardsmen advancing on him and frighteningly close. Garrett ducked to one side, twisting past a pair of grabbing hands. The dancers were an impediment now, keeping him from the safety of the shadows, and he could see the predatory smiles on the guardsmen’s faces. Desperately trying to avoid them, he used the large bustles of the women’s dresses as cover. Even so, one managed to get hold of his jacket, which he left in the guard’s hands before reaching the hallway. He collected his loot as he ran for the nearest exit, the guard hot on his trail. He felt a crossbolt slide past his ribs but refused to slow down. Once outside, it was an easy matter to lose them on the rooftops. Once in the safety of the shadows the thief shed the rest of the dress clothes and determined his next stop. It wasn’t difficult.

Garrett’s mind spun as he made his way to Basso’s office. Did she still care or not? Why would she warn him if she didn’t? Why wouldn’t she come with him if she did?

“’Bout time you showed up…” his fence greeted him. “I was about to close up.”

“Save it.” The blackhand practically threw the back of loot at Basso.

“What? Was the General there or something?”

“Yes. He had enough Watch there for it to have been at least somewhat of a trap. It was slow so he couldn’t have known for sure…”

“Shit. You aren’t hurt are you?”

“One of their bolts grazed me. I should be fine. Physically.”

“Huh?”

“Basso,” Garrett sighed. “She was there.”

No need to clarify who _she_ was. Basso was much more earnest in his cursing this time. “Was she okay?”

Garrett shook his head, relaying the brief conversation and events leading up to the chase. “I don’t understand,” he finished lamely.

“It’s simply, really,” came an old female voice from the stairs that lead to the alley. Slowly shuffling into view was the Queen of Beggars. Both men turned to face her. “Basso, I told you once before, that the face you looked upon was what it looked like when you could no longer go on. To imagine what her heart must have felt.” Basso nodded silently. “Most who attempt suicide believe they deserve it – either to die or to be cursed into non-existance depending on the particulars. Revena has somehow gone past that.”

“What are you talking about?” Garrett demanded.

“She believes that she deserves to _live_.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Basso questioned.

“You tell me.”

Garrett cocked his head, the pieces slowly coming together. “Everything that’s happened – she thinks it’s her fault. Living is painful. Living with him, with what he does to her. To die would be…peaceful. And Revena doesn’t think she deserves peace or hope or happiness of any kind.”

“Indeed,” came the old woman’s approving reply.

“Dammit, Garrett, we need to do something!”

“Like what? He knows we have a connection to her. He knows he almost had me tonight – because of her. His place is going to be swarming with Watch. You know I’ll take any challenge, but that…? Thieves and swords do not get on well.”

“Then we wait and see, I guess,” Basso replied sadly.

* * *

 

They did not have long to wait. Garrett was awoken a few hours later by Jenivere pecking lightly at his fingers, matchbox next to his hand:

G-

Papers say she could use  
a friendly face at noon.

-B

Garrett checked the clock face – ten minutes ‘til – it didn’t leave much time to investigate the mysterious message. He dressed quickly and stepped outside to an unexpected scene. Beneath him in the square was a throng of people despite the winter chill. Some were faces he knew, and he was able to quickly spot Basso’s signature hat. Seeing him emerge, the fence merely pointed to the nearby watch station then turned his own gaze the same direction. There, nearly level with Garrett were several Watch officers, including the General who stepped forward to speak.

“Citizens! For too long has our fair City been ruled by the black hands of thieves who come in the night. Who steal your hard earned wealth and make light of the laws that out good Baron has set forth to keep us all safe! No more! You all know that I have pledged to clean the City of this filth. What you may not know – what I did not know – is that one such was living in my own house! I will not have it! I aim to prove to you all today that NO ONE is above the law. Not even my own kin.”

He stepped back from the edge to allow two officers, one of whom Garrett recognized as Poul Edison, to bring forward their prisoner. Dressed only in a prisoner’s shift, she stared straight ahead, seemingly impervious to the cold. A noose had already been fitted around her neck.

“Does the prisoner have any last words?”

Her eyes scanned the crowd. Basso took off his hat. The woman’s grey eyes met Garrett’s brown ones. Both knew there was nothing more to say. She smiled and stepped off the ledge of her own accord before the Watch officers had the chance to push her. Garrett turned away from the twitching figure as the crowd below began to disperse and Basso knew they would never speak of her again.

Jenivere flew from the clock tower with a stolen treasure – a necklace of a keyhole.

_Several years later a ship sailed into port bearing a small dark teenage stowaway. Basso saw in her a potential not unlike the Master Thief’s, and silently swore to himself that this time would be different.  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus begins the comics for Thief (2014). I hope this was an enjoyable read. I would love R&R.

**Author's Note:**

> Let's play a game, beloved readers! I'm dropping references to both the old and new games all over. Can you find them all?


End file.
